Frozen Wastes of Blades
by d4nte
Summary: As Shirou laid dying by the destroyed Grail and Illya was praying for someone to come save him, Zelretch decides to swoop in. In recompensation, He decides to send them to another world for his entertainment. [Don't read]
1. Chapter 1: Desolate Weapons

"General! General!" a scout came running towards a blue-haired woman attired in a snow-white military uniform. "There has been another sighting of the sword vigilante!"

"Are you sure?" the woman asked, "Are you sure that you found the man that interests the good Prime Minister?" Of course, she has her own reasons, she is, after all, a maiden looking for love, especially for one that is strong. She had never been a believer in religion, but who can deny that when she starts to fantasize about the one, someone that is rumored to be strong appeared out of nowhere. She will have to test him, but there are rumors that he can make and use swords of a myriad of effects. Oh, how interesting it will be when fighting him with her ice!

The man in question had appeared in the North around a week ago. He traveled around the countryside during that time and saved villages by conjuring blades and using it to topple those who oppress. He was reported to have red-hair and exotic amber eyes, along with traveling with an albino girl. Esdeath, the woman in question, giggled. She knew that she would have to bring him out of that habit. After all, only the strong can live in this world.

* * *

I sighed as he found himself dragged along the beaten trail by his little sister, Illyasviel von Einzbern. Somehow, we found ourselves in a new dimension when Zelretch offered Illya a way for me to live as I laid dying before the destroyed Holy Grail. In return, she was given a new body and the Dead Apostle transported us to a new realm.

When the two of us came to, I learned about the Wizard Marshall and his extradimensional shenanigans from Illya. We were able to learn that the new world had a corrupt government. So guess what I did? I resolved to fix this system while Illya was nonchalant to the suffering.

The two of us have been traveling around when I had heard news of a noble family that was in the countryside torturing the villagers for their own sick amusement. Obviously, this did not sit well with me, so I had to cajole my older sister to come along for the ride. We did not have a lot of money, but I was able to sell my "blacksmithing" skills at the village forges for the creation of high-quality swords. I made liberal use of **Structural Analysis** and internal blueprints of the swords that lay within his soul in order to garner attention for my steel.

Anyway, back to the corrupt family, I had finally finished executing them. I was disappointed in the system when I learned that the previous nobles that I bring justice to were found "exempt" of all charges. I was lucky to cover my face and hair for the most part when doing my hero-ing. However, some villagers apparently kept gossiping about my heroic inclinations, even if I try to stop the rumors.

After I was forced to execute the latest group of corruption, I went to bury them. Even if they were raping and hunting little children, they should still be buried. Ugh, even thinking about their deeds made me want to vomit in disgust.

Illya was able to get a new body thanks to something Zelretch managed to do, so she was enjoying the comfort of the fact that her body is no longer the Lesser Grail and how she can finally grow up. She was still able to retain Storch Ritter, her bird constructs, and her monstrous amounts of magic circuits. She usually used it in torturing the corrupt, along with discovering new methods of messing with the head after she decapitates them. For some reason, she was able to keep the head alive.

I still have the Shroud of Martin protecting me from the deleterious effects of Archer's arm. Stupid Archer and his arm. The arm spasmed a little and he clutched it. The bastard is probably laughing it up in the Throne of Heroes, or not. To be honest, there is a little bit of pity in himself. He had learned of the horrors that were being a Counter Guardian. The horror of having such a paradoxical existence, barely helping yet always killing. The very antithesis of Shirou Emiya.

Illya suddenly looked up as I was taking a short rest. "There's someone coming, onii-chan," she said abruptly. I jumped up and projected my go-to pian days, Kanshou and Bakuya. "Who can it be?"

"Whoever it is." Illya projected her constructs, "They're coming right for us."

I sniffed the air, catching a whiff of demons and ice. Even in this frozen land, this scent of ice was sharp and reeked of blood. Whoever it is, this is someone way more deadly is bearing down on us.

I took my stance, the one that Archer used. Despite my distaste of it, the technique that Archer is my best stance, seeing as the arm is feeding me knowledge of his swords and battle tactics. The scent of blood approaches us.

"Illya!" I sharply stated, "Get behind me." She did it without protest, knowing that my apprehensions spell someone that is very powerful.

A white horse came charging through the bushes and stopped in front of me. And on it was a blue-haired woman. I can say that she is nice, but I can smell the overpowering scent of blood coming from her.

"Who are you?" I asked as she looked around at the nobles. Oh, I hope that she doesn't care about them since I don't want to deal with someone who is obviously skilled in combat, judging by her nonchalant yet imposing posture. She then looked back at me with a wide smirk on her face.

"My name is General Esdeath and you are in Empire territory." She primly spoke.

"Uhhh. Hello there, my name is Shirou." I awkwardly spoke, still on guard, "I would shake your hand, but you have a strong scent of blood on you."

Dammit, Shirou. Why did you say that? I know that Rin hates it when I talk to her too bluntly, so why did I do it now?

She giggles a little bit. "My scout informed me of Vigilante activity occurring around this parts and I decided to investigate it." She responds, "Now looking at the scene, I do believe that you are under arrest."

I might as well cooperate with the law. I know that the villagers speak about her unkindly, but most people usually feel that law enforcement are always needlessly harsh, so I relaxed my guard and placed my sword down on the ground.

"Illya." I gruffly spoke, "Do as the general says." Illya nods her head and stands there as she somehow produced cuffs.

"You are being arrested of vigilantism," she continues, "and stealing my heart."

What.

* * *

**So. Here we are, another idea spawned. Just review if you want to see this story continued. I may do this within… a month or something, idk? Anyway, have a nice life. Tata!**


	2. Chapter 2: Bloody Arsenal

"Now Shirou and Illya, be good and sit in this meeting room while I go fetch your new teammates! I was able to request for some Teigu-users!" Esdeath claps her hands as she walks away.

The two of us sit down at the oval table.

"So. What do we do now, onii-chan?" Illya asks, "At the very least, we have a castle now."

* * *

_Flashback:_

After we left the village, Illya and I found ourselves in a carriage with our handcuffs released. General Esdeath was sitting on the other side, while looking at me with a heavy blush on her face.

Now Rin may call me a numbskull, but even I can tell that she is infatuated for no reason, considering that I have never seen her before today.

"Why did you come for me?" I asked, before wincing a little at how harsh it came out.

"Oh." she responded, "You know. I heard that there is a strong man around these parts. Just saying, we may have a spar soon.' Why did I feel someone trampling on my grave as I heart those words be uttered?

"That's nice?" I answer, just a little confused about its implications as she sported a wide smirk on her face.

"Yay!" Illya shouted in pride, "Onii-chan will kick her butt and dominate her!" I turned my head to her in alarm. I saw a hint of a malicious grin on her face. Why is everyone conspiring against me? Esdeath's grin started to grow as she looked at the two of us.

"How interesting." she muttered, "You two obviously don't know about my reputation, yet you insist on fighting me. I don't know if that is courage or ignorance."

She flips her hair back, "Whatever. We'll be able to find out soon enough."

* * *

After a short while with Illya and I playing a short game of cards that I had projected, a young black-haired girl walks into the room with a bag of cookies. I decided to **Structural Analyze** her blade and saw:

_**DEATH, SO MUCH DEATH**_

I jumped away, barely resisting the urge to pull out Kanshou and Bakuya when I felt the sheer presence of death that the blade, no teigu, Yatsufusa, held within it. Hell, its power is its capability of raising 8 corpses that were slain by the very blade. And now it's within my soulscape. Despite how close this blade is to broaching the Third Magic, I will probably never use it.

She sits down on the opposite side of the table without acknowledging me and opened her small sack. In it was a small stack of sprinkled cookies. She grabs one and tosses it into her mouth in one gulp.

Illya moves to grab a cookie and the girl hugs her sack closer to her chest and glare at Illya. Sigh. This girl seems antisocial.

"What's your name?" I ask, holding my hand forward.

"..." She looks at me.

I back away in slight apprehension.

A man walks in. His face is covered by a gas mask….sack….thing? I believe that it's a cloth gas mask. We both look at each other. This day is getting weirder already. I looked at his flamethrower.

_**FLAMES, THE FLESH OF HIS ENEMIES SHALL BURN!**_

Oh god. I can see the flames. I don't think that I am breathing at this point, just horribly transfixed by the image of flames, so similar to my own experience that made Shirou Emiya. But then, I saw a family. A kind man who takes care of his wife and little girl with flowers and sweet gifts. How does one even attach the two images, one of a mass murderer on the payroll of the government and the another of a family man who does his best to provide for his family.

"Are you okay?" the man said as he placed his large hand on my shoulder.

"Y-yeah." I answer, "I just have a bad experience with fire, I thought that I was over it. What's your name?" I raise my hand out as it was engulfed by his huge appendage.

"Oh! My name is Bors."

"My name is Kurome." I looked at the raven-haired girl who sat on the table and notice that she is talking to Illya, well, Illya is talking to her. She is still nibbling on her cookies.

I turn back to Bors, "Nice to meet you, Bors." The both of us went back to sit down.

I looked down at the game of cards that Illya and I were doing, all scattered now. At the very least, It means that I am no longer losing the game. Curse my E-rank luck. Actually, you know what, I should be cursing my luck for this day.

We all sat there in silence as we wait for more of the group to arrive. The door opened to admit a guy about my age carrying a bag of fish into the room. He stands there in confusion, most likely at Bors, who is looking at him with an intimidating glare, or is that just Bors's mask making it seem like so?

He blanches and closes the door abruptly. I look at Bors and he looks at me, he shrugs.

"I'm used to it." he says.

The blue-haired man walked back into the room.

"H-Hey! I'm Wave, and-"

"You can't have any of those." Kurome monotonously stated as she hugged her sack even more.

"Sorry for bothering you." He retreats to the other end of the table, where Bors and I sat.

He puts the fish under the table and looks around the room, probably for someone to talk to.

He notices me and appraises me, probably wondering if I am a normal guy. To be honest, I would feel the same, except the Grail War had eliminated most of these thoughts.

"Hello." I grin and bow to him, the epitome of Japanese niceties. I then stuck my hand out and he grabbed it firmly, excitedly shaking it.

"Yes!" he shouts, "You are normal! My name is Wave!"

Everyone in the room looks at Wave as he realizes that that is just wrong to say in the company that he is insulting.

I look at the obscenely large short sword on his back and saw:

_**The sea, one that is pristine and stable, never changing**_

Huh, this is one of the nicer Teigus to exist. It's an armor Teigu with the idea of stability added to it. At least, Wave fought with a sense of duty and pride for his country. However, he is still naive to the Empire's corruption.

The door once again opened. An auburn-haired girl walked in with an upright chibi dog, "Pardon me! I'm Seryu Ubiquitous, of the imperial police. And this is Coro!" She stands and salutes.

Is her Teigu Coro?

"Dr. Stylish, all is prepared now!" she cries as she throws rose petals all over the air.

"Caring about one's first impression That is indeed what I call "stylish," as a man with etiquette." Another man in doctor's scrubs waltzed in with glitters shining in the air. Dr. Stylish is wearing a pair of gloves that looks like a cloth gauntlet. I'm pretty sure that is his tei-

Oh joy. He is a mad scientist, almost just as bad as RIn's stories about the more unscrupulous maguses.

"I can tell by sight alone that you're a country boy. But you're pretty good looking! I can polish you to be even better. We'll get along well." He says to Wave, who starts to blanch once more and runs to the corner.

Dr. Stylish than turns to me and starts to undress me with his eyes. I shiver. I feel like I'm being violated. "Oh hoh! Who is this? How about some extensions to improve your combat abilities, young man? I bet that you wouldn't object to my hands playing over your body."

… I joined Wave at the corner in fear.

"Seems I'm the last to arrive" a blonde man walked into the room. He had two discs attached to his back, which apparently sprouts wings. And he's a school teacher. Nice.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Both Wave and I returned to our seats and greeted him.

"Um everyone," we looked at Bors, who was holding a china set, "I've made some tea."

I took a cup and started to sip it as everyone reintroduced themselves. The blonde man is called Run. After a while, I notice that they are looking at me in expectation.

"Gomenasai." I do a half-bow. "I was a little distracted. My name is Emiya Shirou and my sister is-"

"My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern." she steals the spotlight from me.

"Oh." Wave says as Dr. Stylish immediately looks at Illya.

"Aren't you adorable?" he inquires as he stares at Illya. "Maybe I can help you grow."

She looks like she is about to say yes to the deal when I butt in.

"So. What are your teigus?" I ask.

"Mine is called Grand Chariot." Wave responds.

"Ermmm, mine is Rubicante." Bors nervously says as hefts up the large flamethrower.

"My STYLISH teigu is none other than Perfector!" Dr. Stylish twirls around while announcing it.

"Yatsufusa." Kurame muttered, her blade still by her side.

"My teigu is Hekatonkheires! Otherwise known as the dog of JUSTICE, Coro!" Seryu cries out as she holds her dog up in the air. Illya looks at it and merely says, "Cute." before Seryu ran to her and starts to hug both Illya and Coro.

"Stop it~" Illya cries out as she struggles to escape the suffocating confines of her arms. I facepalm.

"My teigu is Masterna." Run simply says before looking at me, "What are your teigus?"

"I don't have one." I respond. I can't have them knowing about my magecraft. "All I have are these well-crafted twin blades and my swordsmanship."

The group looks at me.

I shrug. "General Esdeath dragged me in here and said to wait for my new group."

"What about Illya?" Run asks.

"She's older than she seems. And she just wanted to come along for the ride." I respond.

"Oh."

A masked woman than walks into the room. She is obviously Esdeath, but I guess that nobody else here knows here enough to identify her by her distinctively blue hair. I mean, are people that clueless?

"Huh? Who are you? What are you all doing here?" she states while taking an aggressive stance. Nobody starts to feel suspicious, except Illya and I. Why is nobody reacting? I subtly shift my stance in order to better counter a hand-to-hand combatant.

"Hey, hey. We were all told to assemble here." Wave shouts as he moves to her. She responds by kicking him straight in the chest as he went flying into a wall. Ouch.

"Assassins are among the traitors." She states, "Don't ever drop your guard."

Everyone finally starts to burst into motion. She targets Run first as he had to duck and twist around her aggressive kicks and fists. Seryu and Coro came flying behind her with a terrifying expression on her face, maybe she is not totally normal. Before her metal arm was grabbed and she was slammed brutally into the ground.

"For someone trying to attack from behind, you are giving too much presence."

She is literally giving them clues. She even used her ice teigu to block Coro! I

Kurome, with a cookie in her mouth, unsheathed Yatsufusa and slashed at her.

"Even if you're just messing around," she says, "I can't hold back." The blade hits the mask as it starts to shatter. Esdeath's face came out with a malicious grin on it.

"Oh?" she asks, "So that's the Teigu Yatsufusa, eh? What an impressive blade."

And… they finally realize who she is. "Ge-general Esdeath!" Bors exclaimed in shock.

Poor Wave, he finally got up and just looked at her with an expression of bewilderment and confusion.

"I figured a normal greeting would be boring." She states as she looks around the room. "Now, Shirou, lets go have a spar." I feel a shiver pass down my spine as the rest of the group looked at me in pity.

We left the conference in order to stop at the courtyard.

"Now then, Shirou." she states, "Since you don't have a Teigu, I'll just fight you with my Rapier."

That rapier is soaked in blood and torture. You know, Illya will be great friends with her, just over the nonsensicalness of torture. Why do people do that, isn't it already bad enough to kill people? Sure, I know that sometimes death can be excused, but shouldn't one avoid it at all times.

I take my stance while I look at her challengingly.

"That is the worst stance I've ever seen." she responds as she immediately appeared before me. Only for her eyes to widen as my blade already deflected her attack.

"Oh hoh!" she remarks, "You are very interesting. Very interesting, indeed!"

It was her ultra-fast rapier combat versus my reactionary sword style. Neither swordfighter is capable of landing a hit on each other. My reactions are too much for her, but her speed is too much for me. I cannot reveal my magecraft, so I have to rely on these two blades.

After a tenuous back-and-forth, I saw a chance to hit her. Eyes flashing, I slashed at her midsection while her rapier came at me from above. She stabbed me through the shoulder as I slashed her midsection slightly open.

I widened my eyes. "What do we do?" I asked, as her wound weep blood, not caring about the rapier that was still stuck in my shoulder. It's only a flesh wound.

"Oh nothing." She dips her finger into her bloody wound, freezing it close. Okay then. I tore a piece of cloth from my shirt and used it to bandage my shoulder.

"Now. Now." she chides me. "We have a meeting with the Minister. And then, we'll bring you down to the Royal Vaults."

"Ermm, why?" I ask.

"Well, if you're joining a group of Teigu-wielders, then you need one yourself, right?"

Wave stood there shocked. "You guys don't care about the fact that you're both bleeding?!"

I shrugged while Esdeath licked her blood off her fingers.

"We are meeting the minister?" Seryu asked.

"I believe in getting annoying things out of the way first." Esdeath smirked as she crossed her arms, fingers tapping her biceps.

Stylish then asks, "Before we do that, what do we call ourselves?"

She grins. "We are a unique organization, ordered to mercilessly hunt and take down atrocious traitors. We are the special police force. We are the Jaegers."

Good speech, horrible name. Oh god, I'm turning into Archer. This world is most likely messing me up more than I can imagine.

"Oh, by the way, Shirou." She says as she turns to me, "We're going to have to change our tuxedo again since you thought that it was a great idea to take the blow and slash at me. Come with me." She grabbed my hand and left the open corridor. "You guys can do whatever. Just cook dinner and report back to the conference room when I call you for the meeting with the Minister."

I have a rape-feeling within me. Oh shit, I'm alone with Esdeath. I'm totally going to get attacked.

"Shirou." she states as she takes off her tuxedo and grabs a spare one.

I respond, "Yes?" She roughly grabs my body before I can react and spins me into her breasts. Why are they so huge?

"Do you like my body?" she asks while I'm being choked by her mounds.

"Can't~ breathe." I gasp before she finally releases me.

"You'll see more of this tonight." she teases. She is going to make me sleep with her is she?

I almost take off my own shirt before I realized my scars. Erm, this may cause some issues. Especially the one inflicted by Lancer over my heart. However, I still have to remove my tuxedo, since she is still watching me closely. It's like ripping off a bandage, I hope.

I begrudgingly slipped off my tuxedo and moved to grab the undamaged one, when she grabs my wrist.

"Let me look at your body." she says, her eyes hardened while looking at the myriad of scars that Avalon wasn't able to heal.

Her cold and pale fingers traced the fringes of the starburst scar. "Now, how do you get stabbed in the heart and survive such an injury?" she asks.

"A very good healer," I try to bat aside her question, "It's nothing."

"It appears that nothing is something caused by a Teigu."

"Ermm, why do you assume so?"

"Either you were attacked or healed by one, seeing as this wound is an impossibility on a living man. Are you truly sure that you don't own a teigu?"

"Yes, I am pretty sure that I own none. I made those blades myself." Well, from my soul, but close enough.

"Well, if you keep being reckless, I guess that I'll have to gift you one in order to better protect yourself." She left the room as I hastily put on my tuxedo to follow her.

* * *

**I honestly do need a beta reader….. Whatever. Anyway, how is President's Day Weekend everybody? Good? Good.**

**Tata!**


	3. Chapter 3: Flames of Retribution

**Technology is, of course, a double edged sword. Fire can cook our food but also burn us.**

**~ Jason Silva**

**02/26/19 = Shifted to 1st Person POV**

* * *

-0-

* * *

"So that was Prime Minister Honest?" I muse. The minister is truly a vile man, something that the rumors have not exaggerated at all. It seems like he indulges in all sins. If it weren't for all of the other, hopefully innocent, nobles and laughably naive child Emperor, I would've have probably nuked the throne room into oblivion with his arsenal of weapons to remove this cyst of humanity.

"Yes dear?" Esdeath teases as we walk down to the Imperial Vaults. There was a shock that rippled throughout the entirety of the court as she introduced the me as her lover. It was an awkward experience, almost everyone, except our group, froze at the announcement. To be honest, I have no understanding as to why Esdeath is infatuated with me, seeing as she only saw me for a few moments before dragging me off to be her "lover".

I then look around. "Hey. Where is Illya?" I ask, noticing that the platinum blonde hair of my sister was nowhere to be found.

"Right here, Onii-chan!" Illya hugs me from the front. How she escaped my magic-smelling ability, nobody knows.

"How is the place?" I gently smile as he lifts her petite body up.

"Oh, its so fun! I got to see the Torture Chambers that Esdeath-nee-chan showed me!" She starts to wave her hands around, "She's so knowledgeable."

Just ignore what she just said. I almost trip as I realize that my "lover" has a fetish for torture on top of her sadistic behavior. Oh great. It's like her personality is preventing me from ever saving her. However, if I can deal with Illya's lust for torture, then why can I not deal with Esdeath.

"Ahh." the Prime Minister proclaims as they arrive in front of a heavily plated door. "Here is the Imperial Vault, home of the 32 remaining teigus." He eloquently raises his arms as the door clangs open when 5 servants tugs in 5 separate keys into random keyholes in the wall. It's not bad security, seeing as this world is medieval, but how do they protect the keys?

I scratch my cheek as I look around the room, my Unlimited Blade Works already frantically observing and copying all of the bladed teigus that can be seen within the vault. I instinctively knew that the teigus are impersonal to me, not disliking or liking me. My copies will begrudgingly allow their usage by me, seeing as I am one of them, but I probably wouldn't be using their Trump Cards, ever. Still, some of the teigus are insane. For example, there was Chimamire, the third and set of the trio of swords filled with blood. It's special ability is to become sharper as it drinks more blood. However, the moment one picks it up, they will become overcome in bloodlust. Each of its wielders became one of the worst serial killers in the history of the Empire.

As I am looking around, I notice a dark-purple core that shows an image of a shadowy and muscle-bound warrior. Oh no, I pray to the Root that Illya doesn't react to it… Illya has already run over there and picks it up, intrigued by it. Immediately, the orb glowed in a dark purple before coalescing into something that reminds me of Berserker.

"*Gasp*, " Illya exclaims as she triumphantly hugs the hulking beast, "My loyal Berserker is back!" It's a sweet reunion, something symbolic of Beauty and the Beast, if the Beast isn't looking at everyone as if they deserve to die for even breathing in the same location as its master. Fantastic.

Esdeath's grin seems to expand as she looks at me, as I didn't react to any of the weaponry within the vault. "Oh hoh," Esdeath states, "It appears that Shirou here requires one of the more…special Teigus." It appears that Esdeath refuses to believe that I am not good enough to wield one. I wonder what she would've done to me if I wasn't capable of weilding one.

Honest looks at the General, trying to discern what she is getting out of this, aside from the obvious boost to the count of the Jaegers.

"Okay." Honest starts to stutter a little as the air began to rapidly cool from Esdeath's irritation. He claps his hands, "Attendants, bring me the Final Key." Another servant came bearing a royal purple pillow with a golden key, with a small blade attached to it.

"Why is there a blade attached to the key?" I ask, as my UBW records it. At least I can now enter the room at my own leisure.

"Oh." Honest explains, "That's because the key is also used to take some of the Royal Blood. However, we already have a vial of The Emperor's blood." Or maybe not.

He pours the vial into a small funnel and inserts the key into the lock. The door moans as the heavy stone door shifts down to reveal a dusty room. Cobwebs adorn the corners of the room, attesting to how no janitorial servant ever visited these halls. The room is spartan: only a table with a vial, shiv, and a stack of ofuda lay.

I look at them and shiver slightly at the sheer power that is emanating from the trio. The ofuda stack is capable of performing any conceivable blessing and curse, as long as the user shares the blessing and curse. However, the blessings don't include immortality nor do the curses include death. The shiv is a dagger that dealt with sacrifice. If the user stabbed it into victims, the user gains the sacrificed lifespan. The only issue with it is that the user also gains the person's memories. The two aforementioned teigus are Inviter of Ailments: Tamashi and Sacrifice Others: Tecpatl.

But the last one, for some reason, it attracts me to it like a moth to the flame. It felt so intrinsically like me as if it was a part of my entire life. Something that forged me. Like a bolt of lightning, the realization hits me. "Fire is my blood," I mutter as I walk to it, almost seizing the vial. I then stop, realizing my action as I embarrassedly glance at the minister and the general.

"Sorry." I say, "I don't know what got over me."

"Oh hoh!" Honest exclaims as he looks between the vial and me. "Well then, I guess that opposites do attract."

"And what do you mean, Prime Minister." Esdeath taps her chin with her thin fingers.

"Well. That's Michael's Soul." the rotund man acquiesced. "We don't know the exact intricacies of it, but we do know that it has to deal with the manipulation of fire. It is said that an angel willingly bled in hopes of someone that will save others and is born of flames. Every person who has tried it burst into flames before the same vial reappears on this table. So, Shirou, what is meant by being born of fire?"

"Oh." I blank for a bit, realizing that the two are probably not going to let go of that question, in addition, Esdeath may just torture the information out of me, even if I have decent pain tolerance from my misadventures with magecraft. Esdeath starts to tap her feet against the ground. Her patience is being stretched even by the small time frame of pause.

"I had lost all of my memories before I was 11, in fact, all I remembered was flames and corpses on the ground as my village is torched to the ground. I found Illya later when she was left to die by her family." I embellish some of the truth as I gripped my other hand, realizing that it started to unbeknownst wander towards the vial. Hopefully, the duo brought the half-lie. The three of us stands there as one of my hand kept on trying to grasp the vial.

"I never knew that my dear Shirou is sooooo interesting." Esdeath purrs as she starts to walk up to me. Oh. This is getting more and more terrifying.

"Cough cough." Honest interrupts, "Not to be a bore, but as a Prime Minister, I have my duties to attend to, so can you please drink the flask?" He pauses to grab a turkey leg from an attendant's dish next to him and bites into it. "Not bad." he says as he starts to tear into it.

I sigh in relief as I was once again able to avoid another intimate encounter with Esdeath. As I uncork the vial, I cast **Structural Analysis** on it. It's ... confusing. The substance within it isn't exactly blood, but it is undeniably blood. There is the subtle hint of fire and the divine within it as the lip of the ampule met his lip. The viscous liquid pours down my throat as I drink it.

"It tastes like apple cider." I murmurs before Morpheus abruptly grabs my head.

* * *

-0-

* * *

I groan as I wake up within my soulscape. Wait, my soulscape? I spin around, looking for anyone who could've activated my Reality Marble. My eyes stop on an angel with fire for eyes and blazing wings touching Caliburn on _my_ hill of swords.

"Are you Michael?" I ask as I summon Kanshou & Bakuya to my hands. Even if they are Archer's favoured blades, they soon became mine's due to their quick tracing time.

"Yes, Child of Man." the divine angel murmurs as he sweeps his gaze across the lonely plain of swords. "What has given you such a lonely soul, and one so full of steel?"

"Is this happening because of the Teigu?" I question as I stand at ready. He can't disregard an unknown entity that somehow managed to breach his soul.

"And the child is like a sword, never yielding yet pliable? Interesting." it continues, blatantly ignoring me in favor of now observing Caliburn.

I stiffly walk up to the angel, seeing as it made no action to harm me.

"So, how may I help you?" the angel asks, staring directly into my ochre eyes.

Japanese etiquettes enforced itself upon me. "Sorry for my impoliteness. But why are you within my soul?"

"I have to test those who drink my blood, somehow. What I'm interested in is how your soul can physically manifest itself? I know that God tells me about human's infinite potential, but the ability to create worlds should be beyond even the reaches of man."

"I am not like others." The angel smiles in amusement at my statement.

"No, no you are not. A hero, someone with no true definition of justice, yet strives to perform the one selfless version of justice. One who wants to save all. How hypocritical, yet how refreshing."

"Refreshing?" The married blades fell into the soil as the divine presence of the angel somehow expands, bringing light to this lonely soul.

"I can admire you. You who fights not for himself, but for others. Maybe, just maybe, you can change the mindset of Deliora's owner."

"Who?" I ask in confusion.

"The one you call Esdeath. Now, young paradox. I bless you with the flames of Life and Destruction. The Teigu that you know now as Michael's Soul!" his voice rings through the world as the sky starts to ignite into flames. The gears starting to grind faster and faster as the flames reshape me, the young man known as Shirou Emiya.

"Arghhh!" I shout as my eyes glow a bright yellow with wings of the most brilliant flames appear from my back as I force myself to abruptly float before falling onto the floor. "What was that?" I murmur as the wings fold up when I stand up on my two legs.

"I knew that my Dear is the strongest," Esdeath exclaims as she starts to drag me out of the vault.

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-0-

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**Well then. This was an interesting turn of events. Have a nice day.**

**Tata!**


	4. Chapter 4: Yandere-ific Adoration

**Do you want to go?! ... How badly you want to leave my grasp?! ... You can't. You can't! I won't have it! I WON'T LET YOU!**

**~ Griffith (BERSERK)**

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-0-

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I honestly didn't know whether to struggle or not as I am being dragged by the creepily giggling Esdeath. Honestly, the teigu is more captivating to study. I cast **Structural Analysis **in order to better understand the teigu that currently flows through my bloodstream, which is disgusting if you can think about it. Apparently, Michael's Soul allows for macro-pyrokinesis, heat resistance, and flight. Wait, flight. With it, I can be a better hero. You know, flying about in the air with fiery wings. The only issue is that I am now technically associated with the Empire and my sister is apparently enjoying her stay, seeing as she is currently partaking in _another_ discussion about torturing people.

I just have to ignore it

For now, I still wants to get up, getting dragged on the rough stone pathway isn't exactly fun, especially if he can avoid it. What is the best way to get out of this situation?

"Esdeath," I say seriously, "Release me." I really don't want to stay on the floor being dragged and this should work, seeing as Esdeath seems to exhibit both a domineering and subservient personality around me.

"My. How domineering." She relinquishes her hold on me as I straightened my clothes and stiffly walk behind her. Illya decides that it is a great idea to ride on Berserker's shoulder. I'm just going to name the Teigu as Berserker rather than its proper name, Shadow Warrior: Heracrosueix. It is way too wordy.

"Now then," she continues, "Let's have a duel with our teigus. You know, the ever cliched fire versus ice." I pause in step, this seems an awful like a destiny issue. Sigh. According to Michael, I may be able to save Esdeath if I can convert her from her more… cough cough…. Sadistic personalities and remove her from the Empire, which is enabling her. Only issue with that is that she has a predator and prey view of the world, something so widely different from mine, I don't even know how to relate to her.

"Sure, Esdeath. Let's have a spar!" I answer with a slight smile, it's easier to accept the proposal and work through her slowly. After all, it's just a duel, right?

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* * *

"Come On onii-chan! You can do it!" Illya cries on top of Berserker.

The duel is going splendidly… horrible. I can only rely on the married blades and **Michael's Soul** for this bout, and it is going horribly against my favor. Since she saw my suicidal sword style, Esdeath now knows better than to go for kill blows, so now, she keeps on attacking my wrists to disarm me, whether through rapier stabs or ice spears. Every time she calls upon her ice teigu, I kept on melting them with my own.

On the plus side, I have been making alot of progress on the utilization of it. I learned that I have the standard pyrokinesis and flight through flashy fire wings. In addition, I also apparently have some sort of healing flames, which I found when I got stabbed through the **same** shoulder as last time. Is there a target at that area? Oh well. I roll once more as she viciously stabs at it **again**.

"I am having so much fun with you! Emiya-kun~" Esdeath croons as her waves of ice gets countered by my gouts of fire.

"Good to know." I snap. I have to finish this, or else this fight will just end with me always on the back foot. I take flight, using the innate knowledge stored within the teigu to glide around the arena, weaving through her spears of ice. Can my fire also do that? While dodging, I tried to shape the fire into a shape similar to Caladbolg II.

"My core is twisted in madness." I intone, using the aria to keep the shape of the flame within my mind.

"Release!" The Caladbolg replica flashes forward at Esdeath's momentarily shocked face before she smirks. She touches the frickin flame sword and the fiery apparition turns into steam.

"You are intriguing. A survivor, someone who knows how to fight, even learn under duress." She once again repeats as the Jaegers and Illya clap at the performance. I sigh in relief as I realize that I'm in the clear.

"Ahem." I cough into my hand. "So, what are we going to do now?"

"Oh," Esdeath taps her chin, "I guess we can _slaughter_ some bandits." She claps her hand, even after that sinister tone. I think Wave is just as creeped out like me. The entire group nod as Illya and Esdeath both clap their hands in glee. The things I do for my sister and supposed "lover".

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And so, the group of us stand before a long and winding staircase leading to an imposing fortress. Okay, how does a group of bandit last long enough to build such an impenetrable base. This is literally more proof of corruption. Oh well.

I unsheathed Kanshou and Bakuya as we walk up the stone stairs, keeping it at my sides. The bandits are probably less battle-hungry than Esdeath, so I adopt a more formal twin dao style, rather than Archer's suicidal approach.

"So, we are just storming the fort?" Wave casually remarks as he lackadaisical walks beside me. "Yes." Esdeath simply responds.

The lot of us stop as a group of bandits appear before us. "Well, looky here boys. It appears that the Big Bad General has came to greet us." The leader said to his cowering cohorts. I would've at least ambushed us….

I move forward threateningly. I knew that their deaths were consigned, despite my savior tendencies, it is impossible to change such a bloody world. Esdeath places her hand by my shoulder and whispers, "Let Seryu practice a bit." I did wonder how her teigu works for her, seeing as Seryu herself is vulnerable, similar to a Master.

Her face splits into a horrendously terrifying grin. So horrifying, in fact, that I almost attack her out of instinct-oh so similar to the monsters that my blades are supposed to fight.

She starts to cackle as Koro **bites** down on her arm. Nani?! When the dog teigu removes its mouth from her arm, it is replaced by a large drill attachment. "Number 7 - Enma's Spear of Justice!" she shouts in ferocious glee as the drill rips through the group, who barely had a moment to scream in agony before their body gets twisted and crushed into unrecognition.

God of Hell seems about right. The grotesque scene of dead bodies is something that I'll never get used to. But, apparently, all of the Jaegers are okay with it, even Wave. Esdeath looks at Illya and I, looking confusedly at our impassive expressions. In fact, Illya looks like she's smiling. Oh, for the love of Root, please don't unleash your sociopathic tendencies now…

"Koro, Bite!" she cries as her arms gets once again engulfed, "Behold my justice! Number 8 -Taizan's Cannon of Justice!" And she fires an anti-tank rifle into the castle walls. Fantastic. It is always interesting that an obviously medieval world also has advanced weaponry of war. I guess that it shows how we love to fight.

I then realize that Esdeath is probably expecting me to kill some of the enemy men. Fantastic, one of my greatest aversions. As long as she doesn't make me torture them, then I can stomach the needless slaughter by internally chanting that they are being killed to prevent civilian death.

When one is a hero to one, he is also a monster to another. I wonder if Esdeath and I are on the opposite sides of a coin. Fire & Ice. Beat All vs. Save All. Love vs. Indifference. Beings that are so different from each other…. That there is something tantalizing about it. I shiver, I hope that I don't become like her.

I then notice a swarm of bandits shouting at us while waving their swords. Swords that are so pitifully ordinary that I can't glean interesting information from them. I use my swords in order to deflect and weave in between them and boil the brains of that they can die before they even register the pain, the cerebral cortex. The other Jaegers brutalize the rest of the incoming bandits… and Esdeath is laughing while only using her rapier to stab them in the heart. It is going to be almost impossible to save people with them around isn't it?

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!" I turn around to see Berserker pummel through a horde of bandits, all of them pretty much being crushed like grapes. Not a great image. Illya is still on his shoulder giggling. Just ignore it. There is nothing left for these bandits.

I watch the rest of the Jaegers fight and analyze their combat styles in case I ever have to fight them. Almost all of their fighting style have serious flaws within their stance aside from Kurome and Esdeath, being consummate killers. However, given time and effort, I should be able to find something within my Unlimited Blade Works to eliminate them if they are a danger to people.

Seryu is obviously one case of a kind of justice that is ridiculously divorced from mine. She views the Empire and those who work for it as good and pretty much anyone else as evil. That is not justice. Mercy has to also be included or else the justice-seeker will only be a killing machine…

Like Kurome. She is an assassin. One that is twisted enough to play with the dead and make them her friends. She is just… an extremely lonely girl, like my sister. In addition, the drugs circulating through her blood and pooling in her organs should have been enough to kill her several times over. The similarities between Kurome and Illya are so similar, it hurts. Their want to kill their siblings on initial greeting. Their expiration date. Their nonplus attitude, luckily Illya was able to lose hers. And their sociopathic tendencies.

Boles is simply put, a family man. Yet he insists on being an executioner, killing people with flames. Sigh. Why is the more I learn about them, the more I either feel bad about them or really just want to end them for the danger they represent to others. He has a wife and a daughter, yet he has to go through this torturous task for the simple reason that he has a teigu. Even then, he doesn't enjoy burning them alive, it is just because of the teigu's inherent attack, being as it doesn't instantly kill people.

Dr. Stylish is the closest analogue to a Magus in this world. Someone who wants to make the "perfect" being, even if it is to pervert what it means to be human. Someone who loves to experiment and will disregard anything, aside for his love for style, in the name of Science. Granted, that by itself is not bad and all. After all, progress and growth is humanity. But it is what he disregards to experiment, his morality, his scruples, countless bribings, behind-the-back deals and so much more. If I can find an excuse, I will end him. Especially after seeing him kidnapping people for his experiments. Especially for that.

Run…. I don't know why he's here. He is just a school teacher after all. Despite being a little ruthless, he still does it in the interest of protecting others, especially children. However, the incident regarding him losing his entire class to a slaughter, that… that is just wrong on so many levels. His village decides to ignore the incident in face of protecting their reputation. Why do they need to protect their reputation, I don't know. But still, they are the lowest of scum to even think about doing that.

And Wave. Such a loyal guy. He is patriotic and easy-going. How intriguing that his teigu reminds me of the ocean as he is ever so nostalgic for the ocean. Nothing much to think about him. However, his fighting style does need help, seeing as he seems to be more of an improvisational fighter with his armor active.

* * *

-0-

* * *

When we get back to the palace, Esdeath congratulates us on a job well done.

"Now then, I'll have someone take you to your rooms. Shirou come with me." She camps my shoulder. I may be dumb when it comes to love, but even I know that being alone with someone utterly infatuated with you spells certain trouble.

"I have to see Illya off to bed." I stammer as I grip Illya, well attempt to as Berserker growls at me.

"No." Illya deadpans, realizing my plan, "You have never done that. Anyway, I have Berserker back to protect me." She chirps. Esdeath grins in amusement at my attempt to avoid her.

"Well then, is Emiya-kun avoiding me?" She asks as her grip on my shoulder starts to tighten. There is a small bit of frost starting accumulate. I melt the ice with my fire.

"No. No. No." I deny, "I just want to make sure that Illya is comfortable in a new place." My eyes pleading with Illya, who pointedly ignores me. The Jaegers have already left, some amused by my desperate attempts to be stuck with Esdeath.

"But, brother." Illya looks at me in fake confusion, "We always move around and you still don't do it."

"Well then." Esdeath says with an unknown tone in her voice, "See you tomorrow morning, Illya-chan!" She drags me into a room, despite my half-hearted attempts to escape. As she drags me off, I see Illya grinning at me while Berserker is led by a servant.

"Sit here." she pointedly states as she starts to undress. I immediately turn my face until my face is smashed into by a pair of breasts. Now, I am a hot-blooded male, even if I am a Faker in almost everything, and my body has its own responses to this scenario, and my body responds.

"Aww. Is Emiya-kun feeling a little hot under the collar?" She starts to hug me, suffocating me in those. "Is it because of your teigu… or is it because of me?" Why does she have a completely different personality right now?!

"Oh well. I have to go wash, you can wash with me or wait." She continues as she exits the room. I breathe in relief, my face still flushed. Is this going to happen every night? Because I don't think I'll survive even this night.

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**Poor Shirou. Anyway, I really don't know how to schedule these updates, so I think the closest I have to a schedule is "Gaming The Multiverse" on Thursday/Friday and any other story on any day, mostly the weekends, when the mood strikes me. Have a nice day!**

**Tata!**


	5. Chapter 5: Hypocrite of a Society

**In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.**

**~ Confucius **

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I wake up to find Esdeath cuddling me…. And began to flounder, because I realize that her arms are starting to tighten around my neck. What did I do to wake up Run? Oh, right. Nothing because she'll just Gandr me out of the room! Ermmm, what does Esdeath like? Oh right, me.

I hesitantly look at her, as she is still choking me, and suck in my breath. I gather my wits, pray to something, and kiss her on the lips. It's cold. I guess with her Teigu producing ice, she will be cold. In fact, I can notice her skin is cold, like a miniature cooler in the room, which is not a good thing. Luckily, my body is apparently internally producing fire.

She bolts up and releases me from her chokehold.

"Oh, Shirou." she slyly states, "You can only ask if you want to go further with me."

I sweatdrop, "No, no. I just need to go cook Breakfast, Esdeath."

She frowns and pulls me tighter into her embrace.

"We have servants for that," she comments.

"I like cooking," I respond. Her face freezes in slight shock.

"Ara ara. I have such a dutiful husband." Wait, husband? Isn't that going too far?! I twist her wrist in order to force her grip and roll out of the bed.

"Now then." I continue as she mewls. Is she getting off on that? "I have to go cook breakfast for at least my cute sister." I walk out of the room, then walk right back in.

"Do you know where a bathroom is?" I sheepishly ask with a smile.

"You were being so dominant though." She smugly responds as she gets out of the bed. "Can you continue with it? In addition, I went there last night."

I blush, realizing where she wants me to go into. Isn't that invading her privacy? I immediately answer that internal query, realizing that she probably doesn't care about her "lover" being her bathroom, in fact, she'll probably join me.

"Sigh. If that is code for trying to get into my pants once again, I'm afraid that I'll have to decline once again."

"Fine." She concedes as she starts to put on her clothes. I walk into the bathroom and prop it up with a broomstick that is conveniently inside. I know that the obstacle will probably do nothing against her, but it'll provide some form of security. I strip my clothes off and go wash. I just want to cook.

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Luckily, the cooks were kind enough to leave the kitchen for me. I turn on the stove as I pour the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a mixing bowl. I hum while going about forming the batter and pouring them into skillets. To be honest, cooking is the most relaxing thing for me. I may hold some pride in my ability to create weapons of mythological proportions, but **Tracing** is also a source of my shame. Just thinking about Archer's contradictory life, perpetuated just because of his distorted view, something that I share with this… magecraft.

Sigh. I look at the overflowing plates of food, I had cooked too much once again. I keep forgetting that I don't have to cook for Saber's gluttonous stomach. Oh well, Illya is a growing girl now that Zelretch helped her.

I grab the plates and go to the dining room. All of the servants scramble away from me, knowing that I am Esdeath's "lover", but are confused about me holding all of those dishes. I place the food onto the dining room, where Wave, Kurome, and Bors are already sitting there, with silverware set up. How did they know that I am cooking? I ask them the very question in my head.

"Oh." Bors responds, "I was thinking of cooking, but I already saw you cooking. So, I decided to leave you be and prepare the table."

"Thanks," I reply as I place the food down. Even if it isn't my own kitchen, I really do love cooking so much that I can get very territorial over the room.

"This looks absolutely scrumptious!" Wave exclaims as he claps his hand together, "Is this fish? My favorite!"

Illya comes into the dining room while rubbing her eyes, Berserker looming viciously behind her. "Did you have a good sleep, Onii-chan?" She grins slightly while still looking sleepy.

"Yes." I drawl, "It was nice sleeping alone with Esdeath."

"Really?" Bors asks, "How was it? It was always nice when I slept with my wife."

Nope. I didn't know that he is a family man, but did he have to make it an innuendo? Even I'm not that naive. And also, I am not having sex with the general! No. Run has taught me never to stick my dick into crazy. Actually, I think that was to dissuade me from dating Sakura, but whatever, the quote is applicable here.

I gave an awkward grin, "I guess that you can say that."

Esdeath walks into the room while yawning cutely. Wait, what? I shake my head. I quickly eat some of the fluffy pancakes and walk out of the dining room hastily, ignoring Dr. Stylish entering the room.

"I'll be out exploring the Empire." I murmur as I leave the room.

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Esdeath's 3rd POV:

"Did I do something wrong?" Esdeath asks under breath before addressing the Jaegers.

"Among the members here, do any of you have a spouse or significant other?" She asks, looking around.

"I'm married to my research!" Dr. Stylish swoons.

"Assassin," Kurome responds.

"Can't find one." Wave chuckles.

"All I need in my life is Coro and JUSTICE!" Seryu cries out.

"Yes." Bors simply states while raising his hand.

"Huh?! Is that true?" Esdeath replies in half-shock. She really should've read those dossiers that the Prime Minister gave her.

"Yep, I've been married for six years." He starts to grasp his face and swoon, "She's so perfect, I can't believe she's with me!"

Esdeath stands there, pondering about her query. "Then I must ask, Bols... What should I do in order to capture Shirou's heart?" she asks.

He stops swooning and looks at Esdeath, "Well…. The trick to capturing your beloved's heart is to never give up! I, myself, was rejected twice, but I got another chance, and that's when she finally became mine!"

After that speech, looks down at his breakfast, realizing that he can't eat it without removing his mask. "... Bear in mind that it does take some time." He leaves the dining room while holding a plate of the still steaming food.

The Ice General takes her seat at the head of the table and stacks some pancakes with strawberries on them. "Did Shirou cook these?" She asks as her knife delicately cuts through the golden pancake.

"Yep. And he cooked my fish!" Wave says as he waves his hand at the grilled entree on his plate.

"I think that that is for my Coro," Seryu responds as she hands the fishes to the dog Teigu.

"It tastes nice." Esdeath muses as she takes small bites of the fluffy breakfast.

"It tastes JUST!" Seryu pumps her fist up in a fit of passion before she rapidly descends into silence, "It tastes just like how father cooks them." Coro waddles up to Seryu and pats her back soothingly as she continues to desolately eat the pancake.

Esdeath looks out the window to see the red-haired man walk out of the castle gate while nodding to the guards. He is still wearing the starch-white uniform that she herself wears. It feels… nice to know that she marked him as her lover. Maybe, they should have another spar. After all, it wouldn't do for Shirou to just treat their love as a whimsy.

"Hey! Esdeath-sama!" Illya calls as she continues to eat plate after plate of the pancakes, "Do these castles have torture chambers? Since Shirou is out, I can have fun again!"

Esdeath smirks. This can help her get closer to her beloved. "Why yes Illya." she responds with a mad grin on her face, "It isn't a castle without its chambers, right?"

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Shirou's 3rd POV:

I shiver as a frigid feeling washes my spine. I have just left the extravagant castle and enter the city proper. I keep on smelling and feeling hatred and fear permeating throughout the streets. But now that I'm away from Esdeath, I can actually individualize where they came from. I can still smell the large quantities of demonic magic flowing from her, but at least it's clearer outside.

As I walk around the ramshackle streets, there is something that is annoying me. I can smell the negative emotions, but where are they? Maybe in the alleys? No, nothing. So where?

I continue along. If there is any kind of thing, it is most likely in the slums. After a lot of winding steps, I dodge into the alley and change out of my uniform. I felt someone watching my back and I had to use Indra's Jaal in order to create an illusion of me being invisible. I bet that wearing the signature uniform of a sadistic general is not good to be seen in. I change into my casual wear of white and blue shirt with jeans. Now in different clothing, I went out of the alley and enter the slums.

During my entire walk, the city has slowly been getting more dirty with more people wearing ratty clothing. But now that I'm in the designated "Slums", I can see the desperation on a lot of the citizens. There are plenty of beggars, prostitutes, and thieves around me. Inside, I despair. If there is less corruption here than that the upper class is the ones at fault. Something that is infinitely harder to combat- politics. It is something that I cannot just fight my way through with my swords.

A hand attempts to find its way into my pocket. I immediately grab it and turn towards it, expecting a fight. Only to see a street rat looking at me in shock and fear. I look around, seeing people walking around and ignoring me. I can always help the small people, so I drop a few coins that I had gained from my travels throughout the countryside into his hands. He stares in surprise at the handful of copper coins, thanks me, and scurries away into the dank alleyways.

I walk out. There's nothing left to see. The disgusting feeling is not in the slums. At least with Esdeath, here's is tempered by snow and honey. Wait, what? Why did that get into my head? I leave the slums and use the same alley in order to change into the snow-white uniform. Might as well return. It's not like there is anything else that is easy to deal with during the day.

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**Poor Shirou. It's like a hand of God is forcing him. Wow, I'm a lazy S.O.B. Anyway, I will probably post the actual steamy scene in a separate story for my "Gaming the Multiverse" fic. Is that satisfactory? Anyway, have a nice weekend. **

**Tata!**

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-0-

* * *

**Noble Phantasms saw in this chapter aside from Canon:**

**Indra's Jaal (D+): **_Anti-Unit (Self)_

**According to the Avatamsaka Sutra, this is an infinitely large net of cords owned by the Vedic diva Indra. However, this version is not the Diva's true artifact and therefore is not as all-powerful as Indra's. This Noble Phantasm allows an illusion of a different reality to be imposed over a small area, really oneself. This illusion can be easily disrupted by those with a Magic Resistance of C+ or more, or by touch.**


	6. Chapter 6: A Bloody Mountain

**Blood alone moves the wheels of history.**

**~ Martin Luther**

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* * *

"You want Wave and me to clear some danger beasts at Mt. Fake."I ask, my eyes twitching slightly at the mountain's ridiculous name, "Because you want to teach Illya how to better torture someone."

I can't even. I just… can't.

"Well, not really." Esdeath responds with a slight grin, "The castle has been running out of wood of a Treant Danger Beast to fuel the fireplaces, so the Prime Minister decided to ask for my assistance. And I decided to delegate the task to you and while you do that, I'll be entertaining Illya with something we share a common love in."

I look at Illya, who is swaying her feet while sitting on her teigu's broad shoulder. I heard that Teigus usually respond to whomever it believes to be most compatible with, however, they can also respond to desire. I hope that Illya's teigu resonated with her desire to have Berserker again, rather than her bloody nature as a magus, seeing as using **Structural Grasp** on it reveals its basic nature as a fortress breaker.

"But why now? Didn't you probably did it while I was out walking yesterday?" I ask.

"Well yes." Esdeath responds, "But today will be like a girl's day! We can have so much fun torturing those who deserve it and we can talk about my engagement with you."

"I'll be going now," I immediately grab the protesting blue-haired man by his coat and run out of the room. I still remember Rin and Illya's girls night out. I'm pretty sure that it ended in explosions, which I don't want to deal with its equivalent today. I close the door to the sounds of the two giggling and the loud huffs of the Berserker imitation. The rest of the Jaegers were out doing their other duties and such, so Wave, Illya, Esdeath, and I were the only ones in the room at the time.

"Why am I going with you again?" Wave asks with a look of confusion on his face. Whoops, I pulled him away from cleaning his Teigu.

"General Esdeath ordered the both of us to collect Danger Beast wood from Mt. Fake." I merely reply as the both of us finally starts to walk out the castle compound.

"Sigh." Wave acquiesce as both of us enter a carriage. The sooner I finish, the sooner I can start fulfilling my dream.

The carriage trudges on as I sit there, pondering on how you kill trees. Do you just slice straight through its trunk? Or do you have to cut it by the roots? Or just burn it with fire?

* * *

-0-

* * *

"Burn!" I shout out with a slight gleam in my eyes. Is the teigu trying to make me want to use it? It would make sense, the teigus are slightly sentient, if what their history dictates. In addition, I will be using it quite frequently.

The treants die in droves as I expertly fire arrows made of fire from a bow of fire into the pseudo-eyes of the tree danger beasts, only quitting the flames when they fall down in death. Usually, he feels some remorse for having to kill another sentient being, but these entities are a danger to everyone, and I will be selfish just this once.

Wave is also smashing around his own personal horde of treants, leaving behind roughly-slashed logs of wood behind and danger beast cores.

The fight continues until the horde of treats have been exhausted, leaving Wave and I panting on a rock.

"That…. Should be enough." Wave pants as he reverts out of Grand Chariot's armor form, now leaning against his blade.

"Yes." I merely respond as I count the logs, that they sawed through. Him with Kanshou and Bakuya and Wave with Grand Chariot. He is sort of glad that both blades are without pride, or else his soul would've been screaming for retribution for defiling his sword's honor.

All of the logs are barely able to fit the wagon attached to the carriage, requiring the creative usage of some vines in the forest at the base of the mountain. I pat down the carriage, sighing in relief over finishing the task. Maybe I can take some of the wood to give to the citizens. But how? There are spare scraps of wood left over in the mountain. That should do, especially since winter is coming.

I grab a sack lying in the carriage and fills it with a load of wood scraps. The two of them rides back in the carriage. Before they arrived at the castle, I stop the carriage, much to Wave's confusion, and hands piles of wood to the poor citizens of the slums. It is already getting chilly so the wood is much wanted as many needy hands had these scraps deposited on them.

"Huh, I completely forgot that we can give the scraps to the poor," Wave remarks as he looks at the happy faces of the slum-people. I frown, do even honest soldiers (and yes, he sees Wave as at least someone who fights for his country) of this country, not care about their own poor?

Despicable.

Both of us quietly return back to the castle before finally entering the grounds once again. The bloodlust, the sadistic nature of her Teigu, once again smothers me. How in the world does one try to convert someone with her blood produced that much hatred?

I hug Illya fiercely as I return, choosing to ignore the blood stains on her dress. Esdeath stares at the two of us with an indecipherable expression on her face. I'll cross the bridge later if it is bad.

* * *

-0-

* * *

I'm back out walking once again. Seriously, it's actually interesting how few bandits there are in such a corrupted empire. Apparently, the military presence of the country is so insanely powerful that usually highway thieves don't go about. The Bandit fortress that we had to lay waste to only exist because of one of the bandits being good friends with a noble really high up in the court that was recently disavowed. It reminds me of the Yakuza back at home.

I see a bookstore and walk into it. I might as well see what the literature is.

The green-haired man running the counter looks up at me in shock and his hand twitches.

Pretending not to notice anything, I ask "Do you have any books that you can recommend?"

His posture relaxes and I get a glimpse of the weapon. It's a teigu called Infinite Uses: Cross Tail. It's neat. It is an extremely versatile teigu that can be used for almost virtually everything. Oh, he's an assassin. The teigu has seen many bloody deaths under his hands. Lacerations that go straight through the victims' bodies.

"Oh, um." He nervously eyes my jacket, the same as General Esdeath's, "I can recommend you _A Lost Emperor_. It is a story about a displaced royal."

Was that a subtle reference to how he dislikes the Empire because that was blunt. I pick up the proffered book and flip through it. Yep, seems about it.

"How much?" I ask as I close the book shut and take out my wallet.

"1000 Yen," he answers as I hand over the money.

"You know," I calmly ask, might as well see if their ideology really excuse their methods, "Do you know that so many people in this world are unkind?"

"Yes?" he answers, his eyes swarming in confusion before blanking themselves out. So he's not completely a cold-hearted killer.

"I have this friend and we were bringing along the wood to restock the castle." I throw out some more details, "I went to give the scraps to the slums because even the castle can't use it, it's still winter. And he was shocked. Shocked that someone is making the effort to help someone."

The cashier sighs, whether in thought or relief I don't know, and answers, "Yes, this world is quite corrupt. Sometimes, I can't believe that someone hasn't set a torch to this place."

"Blood does get lost a lot in this world. For example, Esdeath was talking about how she had to brutalize an entire country up in the north. Why one can't use diplomacy, I don't know. But, alas, I'm still a simple officer." I fibbed a bit, but he seems to have stiffened at that.

"General Esdeath is back?" he asks incredulously before coughing awkwardly into his hands, "I thought that the Northern Campaign will take at least a couple of more months."

"Apparently, she managed to overwhelm the Northern army herself," I answer, he is probably prodding for answers, might as well give him shadowed ones seeing as I don't know myself.

"Huh, interesting." he pauses before looking at my hands, "A swordsman, I see."

"Yes," I answer, "I use dual blades."

"Huh. I've not seen a lot of soldiers dual wield." he states, "Usually, its sword and shield."

"Yep," I respond, "I was recently recruited. In addition, I am better that way."

"Well, nice to meet you." I continue while exiting the shop, "I hope that I can meet you again,..."

"Lubbock." He replies, "And yours?"

"Shirou Emiya" I reply as the door closes behind me.

That was an interesting experience. I walk down towards the castle complex. So, Night Raid sees themselves as "essential" for the greater good. At least they acknowledge that they're not "just". After all, just doesn't make might.

I **trace** Cross Tails, the wires shimmering in my hands. It's not my style but at least I have confirmation that I can trace them without harm.

I dismiss the teigu and walk back to Esdeath's room. I do wonder when I'll have my own room. Or else I may just go to Night Raid to have a room to myself. Chuckle.

I know that it is wrong to just refuse a lady who is wanting, but I feel that Esdeath is being a tad too excessive in her affections.

"So, how was your walk around the capital, again?" Esdeath asks, "Maybe I should join you. I have been meaning to go out for another taste of a fantastic ice cream shop." she giggles in thought before staring at my chest, more specifically the scar that Gae Bulg slammed through me.

"Are you okay?" I ask, touching her shoulders.

"Yes, yes. Let me take a shower. Undress here." she responds briskly before stalking away.

What did I do? Is she so "Predator vs. Prey" that she cannot comprehend affection? That sort of does makes me feel bad. According to her rapier, all that she really knew is just killing. And considering that she keeps it on her almost all the time, that is sort of depressing in a manner.

I sit down on the bed, my mind cycling through more of the teigus that I gleaned from the vault. There is a plethora of them, all of them judging me and finding me average. Someone that they are purely ambiguous too.

I hold a knife that has an odd weather vane implement attached to it. It is called Caller of Wind: Barometrish. The name is obviously reminiscent of Barometric Pressure, but it is what the teigu does that makes it interesting. It allows for nonstop production of wind, whether manipulation or nullification. The downside to it is that it can flay the skin of the user over time, seeing as the user has to use their own body as their foci. What a way to go.

I create a small tornado on my palm, wincing a bit as the winds cut into my skin. I reinforce it in order to prevent the skin from actually tearing. It's still a very powerful weapon. The shower stop making noises and I quickly dismiss the teigu with my clothes off. I can sort of tell where this is going, but I really don't want to experience it right now. I stand by the door and wait for it to crack open. She strides out all naked and I slip in and lock the door. Hah! No sexual harassment today! Not like I had to avoid it from Rin.

I open the shower door and ignore the frantic knocking and pissed off shouts from the other side. More peace and quiet. One can never get enough of it. I now understand Archer's laments over not having any vacation time, regardless of whoever a hero is, one should at least take a small break before finding someone else to save.

I turn off the shower and hear some moaning. She didn't. Oh no, the shower room is in her room. Why didn't I think of this? I guess that I have to face the music?

* * *

-0-

* * *

**Hey, I wrote more. I guess that Spring Break is a really empty week for me. **Shrug. Anyway, this chapter is more of unloading of thoughts that I had for this story, considering that it has been a while since I wrote this. I really don't know the direction of this fic, tbh. **

_Infinite Uses: Cross Tails _(C-): Anti-Army

This teigu utilizes nigh-indestructible strings forged from the scales of a Super-level Danger Beast. This teigu can be used in an infinite number of ways. The strings can be turned into a spear that can unspool within the enemy's body, killing them by razing their internal organs. While using their trump card, different strings are deployed which can hold and cut through even the strongest material.

_Caller of Wind: Barometrish_ (C-): Anti-Army

This teigu is a dagger that grants nigh-total manipulation of wind, whether control, create, or nullify them. The effective range of control over wind is within 20 yards, but can spread anywhere. However, constant usage of this teigu will cause the skin to become flayed.


	7. Chapter 7: Agonizing Decision

**So many roads. So many detours. So many choices. So many mistakes. **

**~ Sarah Jessica Parker**

* * *

-0-

* * *

"We will not speak about this to anyone." I firmly state as Esdeath and I exit our chambers.

"But I finally managed to get you!" Esdeath swoons a bit before recomposing herself. What?

"Please, just stop." I groan as we enter the conference room. I think she managed to manacle me to her bed for at least an hour. Her cryokinesis is potent enough to regrow while I keep melting the shackles. I feel violated.

Illya looks directly at me with a mischievous expression on her face. Or is it sadistic? I didn't really pay attention because of what she said next offhandedly. With the rest of the room with us.

"How was your buddy-buddy time with Ms. Esdeath, Shirou?" she asks with a mockingly coy tone.

"Buh-huh?" Wave trips over his chair as he stumbles in confusion before barely regaining balance.

"Good for you two!" Bors gave us a thumbs-up. Please, don't exacerbate the situation even further. "I see that you have managed to take it one step further in your fantastic relationship."

"Yes.." My strained smile drops as I realized that there is one person missing.

"Where is Dr. Stylish?" I ask as I look around.

"Oh. I sent him to scout a suspected location of the Night Raid Headquarters. He should've returned last night." Esdeath shrugs with absolutely no concern for the doctor.

"Shouldn't we worry about him?" I ask as Kurome, Bors, Wave, and Run shrug and resume eating their breakfast.

"We must," Seryu answered as she threw strips of bacon into Coro's mouth. "After all, those nefarious assassins probably killed him in retaliation for him discovering their hideout. We should go there to assault their group."

"Yes." I nod as Kurome starts to tap Yatsufusa. I shiver in disgust. The history within that blade is horrible, thousands have met their end to that blade and the current wielder is almost just as bad as her previous users. I never know what to think about her relationship with Akame. She wants to kill her sister to be with her forever. What a twisted way of thinking.

The thing is that I don't know what to think about her. Do I kill Kurome or do I save her? She is, after all, just a broken girl, but if I do help her, then I'm dooming someone that I don't know to be a corpse puppet of a little girl. It's better to save someone that I know rather than an unknown. I hate that I have to think so pragmatically, but I am siding with Night Raid, which is supposed to help remove bandits and the like.

"At the very least, we can find out if there are Night Raid members that are currently not on the Wanted List or have unknown capabilities," I respond. I may be channeling my inner Kiritsugu, something that Illya seems to recognize as she nods along with my words before chiming in some words.

"In addition, we can cull some of their members in order to give us a better chance of victory. After all, with a weaker opposing army, then there will be fewer deaths with the innocent." She says as she looks at me, probably attempting to appease my heroic dream. It does little to soothe it. After all, I am still condemning people to death either way. Esdeath seems to have a displeased expression on her face when Illya mentions innocents but decided to sit down, pondering our course of action.

"True. It is a good idea. After all, there are probably many more members than Akame and Najenda. Even if Bulat and Sheele have been eliminated." She mused before hitting the table.

"Can I have some breakfast, dear?" she asks with a sickly-sweet grin as she taps her fingers against the dark wooden table.

"Sure.." I drawl out as I leave to find the kitchen once more. I better cook for her. Maybe then, I can help prevent Esdeath to do _that_ again. Then she can hopefully be satisfied enough.

* * *

-0-

* * *

We stand in the beaten path facing the forest.

"This is where Dr. Stylish was supposed to be patrolling. There have been reports of loud explosions in the mountain and he said that he had some effective scouts." Esdeath explains as she looks disdainfully at the destruction in the forest. There is a clearly abandoned base incorporated to the side of the mountain.

"So, Night Raid was here." Kurome muses before disappointingly sheathing Yatsufusa.

"So, what do we do? I highly doubt that Dr. Stylish will defect to the Revolutionary Army, especially with this much collateral damage." Bols questions as Esdeath just stands there looking at the base.

"Yes. Dr. Stylish is most like Killed In Action." She merely responds, "We're leaving. Prime Minister Honest wanted to urgently talk to me about a new kind of Danger Beasts. I hope that they will be able to provide me with… sufficient entertainment."

"As much as you had with Shirou?" Wave says with a smirk to his face. He then pales as he sees Esdeath's face look at him.

"Yes. And I think that you'll be just what I need to test out a new form of entertainment." Esdeath purrs. It's her torture fetish, isn't it? One of the things that I still can't stand, even after Illya tried to show him the way. Emphasis on try. If Shirou had to kill someone, why prolong their suffering? It's just wrong.

"I remember that I had something to do." Wave laughs before running ahead of the now laughing group.

* * *

-0-

* * *

Esdeath, Run, and I are roaming the roads of the Empire, eliminating these humanoid Danger Beasts. Luckily, I am able to dissociate the beasts from actual humans, even if they look strangely similar.

"You know, Shirou." Esdeath lazily remarks as she shatters yet another group of the humanoid Danger Beasts into flakes of ice. "You should practice using your Teigu in more esoteric methods. Seriously, there is plenty of potential for the most interesting torture. You can cook a man inside out, you can burn all of their hair and lock them in an airtight room, you can keep fire lit under their feet with little effort, you can burn into their skin. There are so many options! The point is that you should be flexing that Teigu."

She is right in some way. I have been neglecting my Teigu, usually preferring to utilize Kanshou & Bakuya, especially since they make it easier to dispatch monsters. "Fine." I grouse as the ground explodes into flames, instantaneously incinerating the Danger Beasts hiding within the soul.

I guess that there is something mesmerizing about flames, seeing as I had to go through a similar hell. Or is it the Teigu within me talking? Sometimes it's so hard differentiating my own thought process with that of the teigu. I feel as if the angel may have been a fallen angel with it continuously trying to get me to use my flames. The ground is only cracked from the heat, because the sheer heat actually heated and locked the danger beasts under the ground, inhibiting their escape.

"Hmm?" Esdeath perks her head to the side, looking at an unassuming cave. "Maybe the Danger Beasts are man-made." She strides confidently into the cavernous mouth.

"Shirou. Light." She requests as she clicks her finger at me. I wordlessly oblige as a fireball is held up by my hand.

"It appears that this is one of Dr. Stylish's labs.." Esdeath states as she traces the plaque on the wall. It proudly displays his title and name, before warning those unauthorized to depart the premises. I doubt that Esdeath is going to heed that advice.

"We're going in." There it is. "I believe that our mysterious beasts are coming from here."

The three of us walks into the lab, I notice that there is a long line of jail doors, some that were forced open.

"Careful." Run says, "There may be some still inside."

Esdeath waves off the concern before inspecting the jail bars, before a heavily disfugered hand abruptly sticks out at her. The appendage is attached to a heavily modified human moaning in agony.

"It appears that Dr. Stylish is performing in human experimentation." She simply states before going to the lab table to file through various sheaths of paper regarding the mad doctor's experimentation. That's...just wrong. The more that I dig into the Empire and its citizens, the more I find myself disquiet about the lack of compassion of many of the upper class or those with power. What next, Run is a serial rapist? He seems nice, but all men have skeletons in their closet, even me.

What a cruel world this is. Something that seems to be divorced from peace and fair justice, yet the stability is in itself justice.

"Well." She snaps the book closed, "There's nothing left to see here. We just have to eradicate the lab, along with the experiments, and go back to the Imperial Castle to research other locations that Dr. Stylish may have hidden labs. Shirou, you know what to do."

"I'm sorry," I whisper to the roaring monsters, for what else have these humans become now, as fire starts to spawn within the cell, causing them to panic. Tortured screams erupt within the cells, reminding me of when those of the Fuyuki Fire will curse and rave at the unfeeling destroyer.

I wish that there was a way to fix them - return them to their unblemished self - but Dr. Stylish's teigu makes it nigh-possible to understand his modifications nor can I change them without the teigu, something that is divorced from the concept of a _sword_. Even if I were to use Structural Analysis on them, I doubt that I'll be able to understand it that will, truly a teigu worthy of being called Hands of Gods. Ridiculous. To think that one of my magecraft is trumped by such a teigu.

"Run, can you go and inform the minister of this development? Shirou and I can continue to thin their population alongside the main road." Esdeath says as Run flies away in the direction of the capital.

The flames have finally spilled out of the lab, the death throes of the trapped danger beasts have faded away, leaving only the crackling noise as the ravenous blaze spewed out of the cave mouth. I absorb the fleeing conflagration in order to prevent a forest fire from happening. Turning back, I see Esdeath already leaving, walking down the road in search of more to hunt and kill.

* * *

-0-

* * *

"That was boring…." Esdeath sits down primly on a rock overlooking the sunset.

"You made me kill most of the Danger Beasts." I simply answer. After all, if she is trying to desensitize me, she might as well be ripping open gaping wounds in me. Every time I see one of the beasts burn to death, all I can think of faceless strangers dying in a fire. Sigh...

"True. You know, we are alone." Esdeath smirks before leaning closely at me. She breathes on my neck softly as her icy-cold fingers delicately crawl up my chest.

Errr, no. I sit up and take out a rag in order to fake cleaning my twin swords. It is a great excuse, seeing as the traced blades have some blood on it as they have been existing for almost 8 hours now, which is ridiculous. Either Gaia is weakened, which makes sense with the insane amount of phantasmal beasts just casually walking, or my...whatever became stronger. I may have to consult Illya on this topic, seeing as she is so much smarter in the topic than me.

I stiffen as I smell something that reminds me of Tohsaka's workshop. What is she researching? Her jewel magecraft, replicating the Jeweled Sword…. Oh.

"Come Out!" I turn around throwing my twin swords in the general area. Claps can be heard as a lavender haired man walks from behind a rock formation.

"I thought I hid pretty well. But I gotta give it to you. You are, after all, the lover of one of the Empire's strongest." the man remarks.

"Why hello there, Syura." Esdeath blankly remarks at the sinisterly grinning man. "Care to tell me what you're doing out in such a dangerous locale? You know, I may just escort you to a torture room, naughty boys shouldn't be out and about."

Syura continues to smile as he raises disk. **Dimensional Formation: Shambhala**, the teigu is recorded and immediately discarded as it isn't close enough to that of a sword. However, it grants teleportation to the user, able to transport the owner and others across long distances. There are….. Thousands of markers attached to it. Some are even hanging in the middle of the air. He can teleport onto air? Huh?

"Unfortunately, I'm not into that play. I prefer to be on the… other side." he sighs mockingly as he looks at me before saying the words, "But alas, you and your boy toy will be helping me clean up. Imperial Arms Shambala!"

"MOVE!" I yell as I grab both Esdeath and I as I jump away from the marked are we were on. But, there's no exit?

"Activate!" He roars as he waves us goodbye. The scene of the mountain melts into the view of a tropical island with the glittering ocean under a shining sun. Where are we?

* * *

**Okay. For the people complaining about "Auburn Hair", Fine! I'll update more soon! Gahh! I thought that I'll have a small break and work on other things, but no. Sigh, no biggie anyway. I'll work on it. I've just been trying to work out on god's interactions with various weaponry. Anyway, should I have Esdeath abandon the Empire or Shirou ultimately accepting the Empire for the "Greater Good"? Because it is getting increasingly difficult to decide with the landmine that is comparing the two's contrasting personalities. Oh well.**

**Tata!**


	8. Chapter 8: Bittersweet Holiday

"**A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in." **

**~Robert Orben**

* * *

-0-

* * *

"Where are we?" I ask Esdeath as she stares up at the sunny atmosphere.

"Wherever we are, it's a nice place." She muses as she taps her chin. Her eyes glint as she leers at me. "Do you want to test if this place is real?"

"I know that it is-" her lips touch my lips as we stand there in place for a solid half a minute. She breaks free of the liplock with her tongue slightly out as I stand there in shock. She've done it a couple of

"Yep, it's real alright." she casually remarks with a slight smirk as she walks away from me. "But just why is Syura doing there?"

"We should probably check what Syura meant by clean up," I say as I jog after her.

Esdeath holds the palm of her hand against the sandy floor. A column of ice appears under us as we ascend quickly. "Yes, we are on an island," Esdeath says as there is nothing but blue ocean around us.

"You know I could've flown up?" I ask as I float mid-air with my fire wings to prove a point.

"Well yes. But it's more romantic for the both of us to be up here looking peacefully at the glistening ocean." Esdeath swoons before hugging me, using her ice powers to cool my wings.

"I guess it is," I say before looking at the hulking abomination that is rising from the ocean. Summoning Kanshou and Bakuya, I throw them at the Danger Beast that is looking right at us.

"I didn't know that Colossal Danger Beasts even exists!" Esdeath gasps with shocked eyes before the beast starts to roar from the married blades embedding themselves within its chest. The twin paos are able to sink deeply into its skin because of its anti-monster properties.

The Danger Beast has a bandaged head with tubing coming out of it. It's entire right arm is that of a giant robot and there is a giant "1" stamped over its heart. The worst thing is that there is what appears to be a mummified man poking out of its forehead. That's a horrid fate. I bet that I can heal him…. Maybe. Anyway, he probably deserves a less ignoble resting place if he's dead.

Erghh, I have to either use one of my more overt Noble Phantasms or generate way more flames to deal with this.

"It's heading our way." Esdeath reports as she clasps her hands together, "I have no time for such hindrances." A storm of ice shards appears behind her.

"Weiss SCHNABEL!" Esdeath howls as the shards launch at the monster, forcing it to hunker down and tank the ice fragments.

"Hmmm, how unexpectedly tough. This may be interesting." She glances at the beast giving us the dirty look with its one eye and kneeling down. **TRACE ON!**

Esdeath bends backward with a shocked expression as an enormous sword slam straight into the Danger Beast's face.

"Ig-ALIMA!" I shout as I coat the mountain-falling sword with flames as it burns through the skull of the now howling monster.

"What?" Esdeath breathes out as she stares at the blade in utter confusion.

"Go for the mummy poking out of its forehead. The skull is extremely tough." I say, not letting her continue her thought process. The Danger Beast's skull is actually just taking the sword, only forced to bow down as the sword's heavyweight is pushing the head down.

"Grauhorn!" Esdeath slams her palm against the icy surface of the column before a sharpened platform of ice rapidly approaches the spot, only for the mummified being to dodge out the way. Can't we see that we are trying to end your suffering?

"How tenacious." Esdeath remarks as she has _that_ smile on her face. The one that Illya had when she found out that only she and I were at home one day. That was a traumatizing experience.

I summon Archer's black bow and Hrunting and nock the sword-arrow. "Soar, Hound of the Red Plains, Hrunting!" Firing the bloody-red arrow, it goes screaming into the head of the being, instantly killing it.

"Ho, what an interesting weapon you have there, Shirou." Esdeath looks at my bow before the column collapses on itself and I see a much smaller version of the colossal danger beast that we just fought tackle the base of the frozen spire.

"You know, I wanted to show off against an ultra-large enemy like that one, but I'll just take this one instead," Esdeath yells as she jumps straight off the platform and slams a glacier into the Danger Beast's body, crushing it as flat as a pancake. "Hagel Sprung!" She lands on the ground and looks back at Shirou with a smile on her face.

"That was cool, Esdeath." I praise her as she appears to spring up in happiness. I guess that she really wants a vacation. I jump down, reinforcing my limbs as I land on the sand as the rest of the ice construct melts down by the fire that I inserted into it.

"So, how exactly did you do that if you have Michael's Soul as your teigu?" Esdeath sidles against me, her breasts pressed against my back.

"Magic?" I say as I hold my hands up. Hopefully, she takes it as a joke and leaves it at that.

"Really? It is a plausible reason. After all, no technology can do what you just did." Shit.

"Sigh. Well, it's really called magecraft. My magecraft allows me to sympathize with and reproduce any weapon that I see." I say.

"Huh, that makes sense. I always notice that you flinch whenever you look at my rapier or Yatsufusa." Esdeath says. She really noticed that?

"So, can you show me some of the weapons?" Esdeath asks as her fingers tap along my neck. Is she trying to seduce me in order to see my swords? Wow.

"Are you really sure that this island is removed from the Empire?" I ask. I doubt that Esdeath will report this to the Prime Minister since she sees him as a pig, and we are on an "abandoned" island.

"Oh, I don't recognize this place. In addition, the Empire hasn't really expanded that much into the ocean since there isn't that much to see nor conquer. I think there were a few explorers who bring back recordings of exotic species, but that was about it." Esdeath shrugs before sitting down on the smaller Danger Beast's corpse in anticipation.

"Fine," I answer after a brief moment of thought. But which weapon to show her? I doubt that she'll be interested in holy swords, seeing as she only respects…. Strength. **Trace On**.

A crimson spear appears in my hand with metallic ivy crawling over its surface. An intense feeling of bloodlust fills the atmosphere as I warily look at the spear. After being killed by the spear, I went to read Cu Chulainn's myth and let me say, it was interesting. He was a fantastic archetype of a hero, last stand, superhuman feats and such. But he is very much a battle-hungry man, evident in his transformation.

"Oh, Shirou." Esdeath looks at the spear with intrigue. She takes it in her hand and spins it out, "And it's quite balanced."

"You know how to use a spear?" I ask as I see her just feel the spear.

"If I'm bored and there are no victims, I just teach myself other weapons than my rapier." Esdeath admits as she stands up and goes through a couple of stances, "It's been a while since I wielded one, but this weapon is so good. What is it?"

"It's called Gae Bolg. And it's the weapon that led the wound that you saw in my heart." I respond as she sticks it into the sand.

"It's quite intriguing. However, is this weapon like a teigu? I feel a sort of…. Presence similar to a teigu in it." Esdeath muses as she looks at the designs on the weapon.

"Yes. They're called Noble Phantasms." I say, "This spear will reverse causality so that the heart is struck, so the spear is swung truly."

"That is awesome," Esdeath says before it disperses into blue motes of light.

"So, I doubt that Syura is going to teleport us back. We may as well build a shelter." I say before walking away and tracing an ax to chop down some trees.

"I'll be with you!" Esdeath cries out as she jogs after me, "We'll also need to hunt for food."

"Sure," I say as I utilize Alteration and Reinforcement in order to build a rudimentary hut while utilizing various tools of expert carpenters that I gleaned from. It does feel nice to exercise my Magic Circuits after only really using my teigu and tracing the twin paos.

Both of us delve into the jungle to hunt for food and just to explore the place. Why do I not have any teleporting weapons! Oh right, because most of what I have is gleaned from Gilgamesh's hall, and he never actually used something like that. Why is my Reality Marble refusing to record Shambhala?

It is fun exploring with her. The two of us went through the jungle, encounter interesting wildlife, slaughter said wildlife, she tried to seduce me… again, I cook a crab inside out when its claw gripped my finger. Fun times. I wonder what Illya is doing? Oh, what happens if she only wants to eat my food and refuses to eat anyone else's? What if someone tries to take advantage of her? What happens if…. What happens if she gets hurt? Fuck, I have to get bac….. Her teigu exists.

"You know that Illya is strong. She can probably take care of whatever you said." Esdeath says with a sigh. We are sitting on the beach under the night sky by a crackling flame that I had lit on fire.

"Oh, and I have determined that we are truly far south," Esdeath says with a gleeful expression on her face.

"Huh, is it because of the stars?"

"It's because of the st- yes. The positions are too out of line than at the Capital." Esdeath explains as she points at various stars. "More importantly, do you know what that means, Shirou?"

"What?" I ask as I make the fire born a little stronger to cook the strips of meat that were skewered on a branch that I altered. I wish I can trace herbs.

"It means… that you and I are the only two people on this uninhabited island." She says with a heavy blush.

Oh no. "So, what do you want to do?" Esdeath asks with a coy expression as she decides to slowly loosen her uniform. It's sort of hard to not notice it, as she is leaning onto me like Sakura used to do. Why me?

"Err, just sit here and wait for the meat to cook?" I answer.

"Sigh, it's just like you. I have an idea on how to get back." Esdeath states as she gets up and starts to walk away, "We should probably visit the location where we were first deposited."

"Well, let me finish cooking these," I say as I casually flip the strips of boar once more. I chose not to destroy the hut because we may need it. Or at least someone else who may get stranded.

"Fine." Esdeath answers after a long pause as she goes back down and sits by me. We're almost sitting side by side as we observe the strips slowly brown.

"We should get to know each other." I remark, "We've never actually talked about our backstories."

"It'll be fantastic for us to get to know each other." Esdeath smiles while she starts to hug me. "How about you start first?"

And so I obliged, telling her about the boy lost in flames and was saved by an extraordinary fool.

"That…. Was interesting." Esdeath says as I conclude my death to the Holy Grail, "And I was right, you _are_ strong." Her eyes convey a sense of glee at my many fights and achievements.

"Thanks?" I scratch the back of my head as I look at her.

"Now let me tell you my story." Esdeath smiles at me before launching into her own diatribe. My internal horror can only grow as I realize just what she thinks. She's….. Distorted, like me. That's not a joke. Someone who's entire self was put to ice because of that one ideal, the belief that she strives to always be at the top of. I can't even retort her, because Rin tried to and I ignored her argument, so what chance do I have to try and change her. Hell, when she talked about her taming the Teigu, that shows the unchanging nature of her soul, like my iron-clad own.

"The meat's done," I say as I stand up to take one of the sticks and give them to her. She thanks me and takes a bite into it, sighing as she sits there.

"We should probably check what I was thinking about," Esdeath says as she gets up.

"Sure." I grab the rest of the sticks and give another one to her and keep the last two for myself.

"So, I think that Syura's teigu most likely has to mark the location that it teleports its victims to, therefore, I believe that there is a mark there that we can use to teleport home if he were to ever reactivate it."

"Huh, I do remember the teigu requiring that, but what happens if he doesn't do it ever?" I ask as she points up in the air.

"We take a ride on one of the Danger Beasts," she says as she points at the Air Manta, "It'll take a long time, but we'll reach the Capital at one point."

I then see something purple glow ahead of us. Crap, it must be activating. I grab Esdeath, who doesn't complain and reinforce my legs, speeding up before just barely catching the circle as it explodes into smoke and purplish light.

* * *

-0-

* * *

Oh. We're back on the summit.

"We're back home," I shout happily as Esdeath gracefully jumps out of my hold.

"Why yes we are." she says with a smile, "why don't we go home?"

She looks so happy to be with me. It feels nice.

* * *

-0-

* * *

**Cute. Anyway, I have to write a Beowulf-esque epic for English class, so that's fun. Have a nice Memorial Day y'all!**

**Tata!**


	9. Chapter 9: Traitorous Declaration

"**Someone who just helped you to speak evil about another person can later help another person to speak evil about you." **

**~ Israelmore Ayivor**

* * *

-0-

* * *

I see a running behemoth being chased by a group of soldiers. It looks like Berserker. Oh, what did Illya do? Tracing Caladbolg II and Archer's bow, I fire it at the cluster of soldiers. Berserker had already dodged out of the way as the explosion lights in the sky like a nuke.

"Shirou!" Illya yells as she reaches me, "Honest actually declared you and Esdeath as traitors to the Empire."

"He did WHAT NOW?!" Esdeath says with a deadly expression as her face contorts into hatred. "What happened to the Jaegers?"

"They were disbanded and their teigus were to be confiscated for being associated with you. Only Bors and Seryu did so." Illya says casually.

"So what about the rest?" I ask. I had listened to Run's story and if he left, I doubt that the village where he lived at will last very long.

"Run and his village managed to disappear. Presumably to the Revolutionary Army. Kurome and Wave also disappeared." Illya said, "I punched Honest in the face!"

"Oh, so what was he like?" Esdeath asks with a gleeful expression on her face.

"He screamed like a little girl and fell off his chair, that fat pig." Illya gleefully answers as she claps her hand.

"Okay. Okay." I say, "But what do we do now?"

"We can be Danger Beast Hunters in the North. That's where most of the dangerous beasts are." Esdeath eagerly requests as she sports a slowly widening grin.

"But didn't you brutally conquer that region?" I say, "I doubt that the natives will take it so kindly."

"Right." Esdeath brushes her chin in thought, "Then I guess we can go south?"

"The Revolutionary Army are in the other directions," Illya responds with a deadpan face. Even Berserker agreed that it was a bad idea.

"Fine. Then what next?" Esdeath asks as she looks at me.

"Sigh. Can Alteration affect people?" I ask Illya.

"Yes, technically." Illya says with a frown, "Alteration works on technically the same principle of Reinforcement, but no one has ever gone so in depth into those two spells. Except you."

"Except me." I echo her response, "Welp. Can Berserker change forms?"

"No." came the reply.

"Then no. We can't hide in the Capital." I respond with a sigh. "Can we meet with Night Raid?"

"There is an extremely low probability seeing that, well, they are part of the Revolutionary army," Esdeath responds as she looks awkwardly away. " Even then, Najenda, the leader of Night Raid, and I have bad memories together."

"How bad?" I ask with a bit of concern as I realize that Esdeath may have sunk our chances.

"I sliced off Najenda's arm after years of being comrades," Esdeath responds with a sheepish expression. Even with her lust for death, she knows that she messed up.

"Great… So, we're done for." Illya says, "Want to blow up the Empire before we die a horrendous death?"

"Yes! I need to get back on that **pig**." Esdeath darkly mutters as she stares off at the capital.

"What about the people?" I ask, "Don't they deserve an advanced warning? Especially for the poor and those who committed no wrongdoing?"

"And?" Esdeath's eyebrow quirked up, "They sinned for being there!"

"You technically did as well." I say, "And we're not executing you for that."

"Right." Esdeath says, "It's not like you'll kill me. Right, Shirou?" She looks up at me and pouts. What? I-I- Why can't I deny it?

"Fine," I say after an attempt of trying to resist Esdeath and also Illya, who is making the same exact face. "But we're saving that idea for last."

"That's okay." Esdeath says, "As long as I can fucking slaughter those fools... He he he."

Oh no. Esdeath is becoming more and more sadistic. How do I deal with this? I kiss her.

"Wha." Esdeath breathes out in confusion as I sigh in relief. Okay, I got her raging self down. Why I stay with her, I have no idea.

"Yes. yes." I grumble, "Let's go meet up with the revolutionary army. It'll be a whole lot easier to get rid of the Empire with Allies. Or we can ask Path of Peace for aid."

"Sigh. I guess you're right, Shirou." Esdeath sighs before she holds her hand up to me. "Can I see what Alteration does?"

"Illya," I look at my sister, "Will you be okay waiting for us or just leaving Berserker behind?"

"I'll come with you." She chirps before also grasping my hands. Sigh. I did give her a choice. **Trace On**

Esdeath's hair turns black and her eyes become aqua blue. Illya's hair becomes a more dirty blonde while she has green eyes. My hair turns into white as my eyes turn steel grey. My skin gains a dark tan. Did I?… I did.

"Archer-onee-san?" Illya blinks at me in confusion before she projects a mirror and looks at herself. "Did you really make look like a younger version of Saber?"

She then looks at Esdeath. "You made her look like Rin!"

I'm not the best at disguises.

"This _is_ interesting." Esdeath muses as she picks her now black hair. "This can make infiltration so much easier. And also, who is this… Rin?"

"Oh shit." I whisper, "She was the first thing that I thought up as for a disguise. Rin was an… acquaintance." Probably not best to tell Esdeath that we had a tantric ritual.

Her eyes narrow as she stares at me. Turning away, Esdeath starts to walk away. "You're telling me later."

"Berserker, stay here," Illya instructs her teigu as it nods before standing stock still in the forest.

"Before we head to the city, here." I trace and throw the two of them a brown cloak. I have one in my hand. "This'll help improve our ability to hide."

"Thanks." Both of the girls respond before wearing it. The three of us swiftly leave the mountain and start to walk towards the capital. I trace a rucksack for me to carry as we enter the checkpoint. There are guards lazily standing.

"Hey, Walter. You heard about Esdeath." one guard says.

"Yeah, Patrick. Apparently, she has been secretly communicating with the Revolutionary Army. I'll call bullshit, but you never know who is listening." Walter says as he wrinkles his nose.

"Those imbeciles. I get denounced for not even a day, and everyone just decided to forget me." Esdeath seethes as she clenches her fist tightly. Honestly, she does look like Rin, which is a weird thought. The two then noticed us and places their hands on their swords.

"Halt! Who goes there?" Richard says as he looks at our group.

"We're just travelers," I respond. "I was hunting Danger Beasts with my wife."

"Okay…." He looks intently at our faces before nodding. "Then what about the little girl?"

"Errr, we saved her from a huge Danger Beast attacking her village." I continued with a nonchalant tone as if I was just filing paperwork.

"Interesting. Do you want to leave her with us and we can find her an appropriate household?" He asks with a devilish grin.

"No, that's fine." I lightly say.

"By the way," his friend roles out a freaking message board, "Have you seen any of these people during your travels?"

"No," I respond. Kurome, Run, Wave, Esdeath, Illya, and I were all on it. Damn, the capital has already printed out Wanted posters that fast. We really need to go into hiding. The guards let us in.

"So, Are we going to meet with somebody? Because I doubt that you'll settle with just laying low for the rest of our life." I ask as we walk out of their hearing range.

"You're right. This city is going to be ice under my heel when I'm done with it." Esdeath growls as ice starts to grow under her feet.

"You should probably calm down," I say as I warm up my hand with fire and then touch her shoulder. Immediately, she relaxes.

"When were you practicing?" She asks as she lightly moans and leans into my touch.

"Just now?" I respond, "I just wanted you to calm down. I can stop if it's making you feel uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable?" Esdeath asks, "No no no. It feels wonderful."

"Good," I reply as we continue to walk. I rub her back. "You know, I know a disgruntled book owner that may introduce us to the Revolutionary Army. He hinted at it quite a bit with his book recommendations."

"Oh? Where is it?" she asks as we finally pass through the capital gates.

"This way." I drag Illya and Esdeath as we skirt the crowds and come face to face to a dark green bookstore. There is a sign on it.

"Closed." I pick up the piece of paper and look at it in confusion. "Where could he have gone?"

"The Empire could've discovered his connection and have him executed." Esdeath muses, "If only I had access to the Imperial Records."

"So we can go to the castle?" Illya bounces up and down as I sigh.

"Fine. It's not like we have many options if you two are getting so cagey. Even then, it seems that there have been some incidents." I say as I look down at a newspaper.

**Local Bookstore Keeper Found to be Traitor**

"I guess that we found our bookkeeper." Esdeath remarks as she reads the article.

"Yes," I simply reply. What cruelty is this? His head is to be spiked as a warning sign and his body burned. "We're going."

We wander through the city before coming up against the imposing walls of the castle. In front of the gates, there is Lubbock's shocked head impaled on a spear. Sigh, how many people must die? Heck, there is very little ways to save people in this country. Join the Empire, be forced to kill. Join the Revolutionary Army, be forced to kill. Join Night Raid, be forced to kill. Hide away, then I'll never be able to confront the bad guys. This is… an impossible situation.

"We should leave." I absently remark as I notice guards looking at us suspiciously.

"We probably should," Illya responds as she starts to fake whining to Esdeath's annoyance. I can see the wicked gleam in her eyes as she continues to pester Esdeath.

"Fine, dear." Esdeath's face spells doom for Illya's antics as she tightly grips Illya's hand, almost crushing Illya's seemingly-delicate hands.

An explosion from the castle sounds as its walls start to shake. Citizens outside to cry out in fear and run away from the sight. The guards all look at each other and run inside.

"Let's go," I whisper to Esdeath, who grins as she is already one step before me.

"Too late." She sings as a surprised guard gets eviscerated by an icicle.

"Esdeath is HERE!" one of them shouts in fear before his head gets destroyed by a blast of fire.

"I'm sorry." I murmur, even if it is totally not going to excuse that death before following my girlfriend.

I see a blonde haired girl dodging General Budo's lightning strikes. She is not winning.

"Stop desecrating the castle grounds!" he yells as more bursts of lightning narrowly miss the girl.

"Then don't have an ass of a prime minister!" the girl yells as Esdeath humorously chortles at the stupid retort, causing both of the combatants to look at us.

"Esdeath?" Budo quirks his head as he tries to puzzle out Esdeath's different appearance.

"Yes." She smirks evilly as ice starts to crawl up the walls, "I see that you have already forgotten me."

"Your disguise is still on," I whisper to her.

"...Oh." Esdeath awkwardly pauses before she launches an ice missile at Budo, who casually flicks out a lightning bolt.

"Now, you're also desecrating this place?" Budo yells as he starts to produce blue lightning bolts and launching them at us.

**Trace On. **

"Inheritance of the Thunder Beast's Wrath, Raikiri!" I yell as I trace the blade fabled to cut through lightning and hit the god inside it. Using the skill traced from the blade, I cut straight through the lightning, almost taking off Budo's arm. Such was the case of reinforcing to an insane amount in order to accompany the dexterity required to cut lightning.

"You!" the general shouts out as he deflects my Raikiri through some electromagnetic manipulation. I create a lance made of flames and jab it into his sides, which only singe against his armor.

"Why are you here?" he demands as lightning starts to jitter around his body.

"Same as the blondie." I retort as a bird whacks him in the face. "Illya!"

The wire birds that Illya controls are zipping around, conducting the lightning charge, until they just evaporated from the ionic discharge. Fun. He can deflect any of my weapons except fire, but fire doesn't protect against lightning. I guess that I can use that. Summoning my wings of fire, I fly near him and we have what amounts to a slugging contest. The electricity causes my body to spasm, but my fire is slowly reducing his armor to slag, causing massive burns. I trace Gae Bolg, seeing that I'm close enough to him.

"Barbed Spear that Pierces Death, Gáe Bolg!" I yell as the red spear starts to wiggle, but Budo had already sensed the danger and quickly fly backward. In his place, he left an explosion of lightning to my face. I throw Gáe Bolg towards the floor in order to conduct the charge away from me. It sort of worked.

I make a bow of fire and nock Hrunting to it.

"Soar, Hound of the Red Plains, Hrunting!" I release the arrow and it chases Budo, who twists its path, but the blade-arrow only flew unerringly at him.

Using the momentary distraction, I start to throw fireballs at him and trace more copies of Raikiri.

"Barrels Loaded. Fire!" Copies of Raikiri starts to launch, interrupting and cutting through the lightning bolts that Budo is releasing at me while also dodging Hrunting. Finally, the swords reach Budo and start to cut into him. Their lightning-nullifying abilities channeling and cutting off his ability to throw lightning. Budo, in desperation, lifts up his arm to block the red projectile, but his gauntlet is in shambles. His teigu cracking.

The blade goes straight through his arm, amputating it, and into his heart.

"But, the Emperor." Budo chokes out as his dying body is suspended for a few moments. Then, it collapses from the air, crumpling against the floor.

"So." the blonde looks at us, "My name is Leone." She looks at us with a slight grin, as if expecting us to answer her with our names. Esdeath does it anyway.

"Esdeath." Sigh, let's just give away our names. Why not?

"Shirou."

"Illya."

The four of us looks at each other before Leone awkwardly clasps her hands together. "We fighting or not?"

"No." I say as I grasp Esdeath's shoulder, "We're here to… execute the Prime Minister."

"Well, wait for your turn." Leone retorts, "The Revolutionary Army has been waiting for years. And your denouncement provided the fuel. Even now, the Revolutionary Army is mobilizing, arriving in 3 days."

"That will be too slow." Esdeath scoffs, "I want to kill him **now**."

"Well…." Leone looks to behind her, "My comrades are already doing that."

"What are _you_ doing here, Esdeath?" a voice came from behind us.

"Oh, Najenda." Esdeath blandly replies. "How has your arm been?"

* * *

**Ahem. Behold the final chapters! To be honest, my level of done with this fanfiction hit about chapter 5, but I didn't want my readers to not be bereft of yet another Akame Ga Kill!/FateStay Night crossover fanfic! You know how I was talking about how this fanfiction may last longer. I lied. There's probably going to only be one more chapter and if you guys really want it, an epilogue. Capeesh? Good.**

**Tata!**


	10. Chapter 10: Deathly Struggle

**Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. **

**~ Friedrich Nietzsche**

* * *

-0-

* * *

"Esdeath." Najenda blandly replies, pretending not to hear the ex-general's greetings, "I heard that you've been named a traitor. And I see that you're back in the castle like the dog you are."

"Nah." my girlfriend responds, "I've come here to… demand recompensation from the Prime Minister."

"Hmm, then I'm assuming that you'll….agree to a temporary alliance," Najenda responds as she strokes her chin, which is ironically similar to Esdeath's own action.

"Yes." came the simple reply.

"Susanoo." She shouts as we continue onward. A man with horns and a great staff leaps in behind her. After analyzing his staff, I realize that he's a teigu. Interesting function though. A shield that can reflect anything and a staff that can turn into an an...invisible sword.

"Who's on this mission?" Esdeath asks, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Including me? 7." Najenda says, "But the Empire founded another group of Teigu users almost immediately after your…expulsion."

"So a force of 10 against an unknown number, eh?" Esdeath says, "I like it. Let's go."

At that, Leone raises her paw. "We actually have one less. Mine will be too ineffective in such close quarters."

"Right." Najenda says, "We have a force of 9 and 3 are currently in the throne room where one is a noncombatant."

"I'm liking those numbers less and less," I remark, "But we have to fight. After all, this will be the easiest way to end corruption."

At that, Leone looks at me. "You… You remind me of Tatsumi," she remarks before leaving towards the heavy set door where sounds of battle can be heard.

"Wait," I say before tracing a sword. Fragarach, the Mystic Code that rewrites time itself so that it can hit whatever. It appears to be a floating iron ball with a spearhead coming out of it and a ring orbiting it. The Noble Phantasm just floats in my hand. With this, we should be able to retaliate to whatever comes in.

"What is that?" Najenda asks, "Did you just create a teigu?"

"No. It's a noble phantasm." I reply. We have to hurry. "I'll take lead and the weapon should be able to counterattack."

I open the door to chaos. Well damn. A black-haired girl, who I recognize as Akame from the wanted posters, is fighting off two swordsmen. The three of them, with their blades, already feeding me the very blades. And they are strong. Whether in technique or the teigu's actual ability.

A teen in silver armor is fighting a clown, some girl with a mic, and someone that vaguely reminds me of Illya who has a titanic monster behind her. The mic girl notices me.

"Oh, new people. Well, time to die." I had already read her teigu, Heavy Pressure, the teigu capable of exerting intense gravity through soundwaves.

"DIE!" she shouts at us, the shockwave of her voice reverbing to us. Leone and Najenda are already trying to move, but the wave is faster than any of us. Well, other than a select few.

"Gouging Sword of the War God: Fragarach!" I shout as the metal ball starts sparking, already flashing bright as Cosmina, the mic girl, suddenly losing her voice as her voice box is punctured by a beam of light. At the same time, I trace Yata no Kagami, Susanoo's shield, to bounce the shockwave back at her, causing her body to slam against the wall. I can hear her bones cracking and pulverizing as she screams wordlessly and slumps.

"What!" the blonde-haired girl, Dorothea, says before being forced to dodge the armored teen's spear. "Champ! Deal with them!"

"Oh I will!" the obese clown says, "I want the loli!" No. Just no.

"I'm 19!" Illya shouts as he seems to shout in glee.

"Oh, a permanent angel! I need to preserve you even further!" That sounds ominous. His teigu, Big Leaguer is already activating, chaotically launching the elements everywhere. Leone, Najenda, and Susanno had already left, going to help the armored teen and Akame.

"You are so not doing that! I'm only for my onii-chan!" Illya shouts before her eyes flashed. Wait, what. Is that her Mystic Eyes of Binding?

"What did you do?!" he says as his body locks up frozen. "But, I still have my balls to throw at you." His teigu starts to fly towards us, but are batted aside by ice and fire projectiles. Whirlwind, consumed by a blaze. Explosion, solidified in ice. Flame, currently duking itself out with my own flames. Ice orb, frozen solid by Esdeath's ice. Lightning, stuck in ice. Rot, a hand of fire had grasped it, the rot orb trying to continuously destroy the flames, only for the flames to replenish.

"Who the hell are you-Esdeath!" he shouts in fear. "Esdeath is here!" he shouts at Dorothea, who ignores him. Esdeath executes Champ with little prejudice as a blade of wind whizzes right by me. Enshin, the man wielding Shamshir, doesn't look like he's feeling so good.

"I'll just kill you quickly and return back to killing Akame," he replies as he flicks yet two more blades.

"Trace on!" I shout as I trace the same blade as him, repelling the two slices with two slices of my own.

"Wait, but that's mine!" he whines before going to viciously attack me. His sword outstretched at me. It appears that he can only slash twice, so I summoned Assassin's blade, Monohoshizao. It's not the blade, but the technique, Tsubame Gaeshi-the technique that allows me to attack thrice simultaneously.

"Hiken - Tsubame Gaeshi!" the three impossible slices fly through the air, its superior power from my Reinforcement slicing through his own air slices and slicing through him. The decapitated head of Enshin falls to the ground as Shamshir clatters to the ground.

Where is the Emperor or the Prime Minister? I do a quick headcount of the people present. Esdeath, Najenda, Susanoo, the armored teen, Akame, Illya, the three remaining Wild Hunt members, Cosmina, Dorothea, and Izou, and….where is Leone? She must be after them.

"Hrunting, lead me to Prime Minister Honest" I chant as I summon the Noble Phantasm, immediately I follow the tugging sensation that the blade is giving me. Using my fires as a makeshift plasma torch. I cut through the stone walls to reveal a torchlit passageway where the fat man is leering over a panicked Leone. I throw the blade, stabbing him through the stomach.

"Arggh!" He yells as he gingerly touches the blade, "Well, you're too late. The emperor has activated the great Teigu, Shikoutazer! He will purge you, peons!"

And with that, his voice finally gurgled as he can no longer talk due to the blood bubbling up his throat.

"Thanks for saving me, even if I didn't really need it," Leone says as she looks mournfully the belt that used to be Lionelle, "Even if my teigu was broken and he had a gun ready, I could've taken him. But, I do feel for my teigu. "

"Do you know what Shikoutazer is?" I ask, "I don't recognize it on the Teigu records?"

"Nope, nor did I," Leone responds as we hear a loud noise as the castle walls start to shake violently. "I have a good idea of what it may be."

"Yeah," I say as we run outside of the passageway, leading to a ruined throne room with a huge purple robot standing up. Oh, what fresh hell is this? Why does the Empire have a nuke?! It's already unfair for my swords to have the function, but the Emperor has one that only he and his blood can access? What the hell? The teigu starts to whine as an ominously burning bright red light appears from its crown. Fuck!

Reinforcing my legs, I grab Najenda, Esdeath, Illya, Akame, the armored teen, and Susanoo.

"Rho Aias!" I shout out, summoning the pink flower shield projection as Shikoutazer launches its charge into the distance. The shockwave buckled against Ajax's shield, removing 3 fucking layers and disintegrating what remained of the castle walls. In the distance, I see an explosion bigger than even the Tsar Bomba. The hell? I think that was the Revolutionary Army that just disappeared. Fuck.

"What the fuck is THAT!" Najenda shouts as she gestures wildly at the giant.

"Shikoutazer." I say, "The Empire's great defense against invaders. It can fire out a beam capable of leveling cities, fire mortars from its pauldrons, can take almost anything, and was recently reimbursed with the ability to turn into a beyond-Super class Danger Beast."

"And how do you know that?" Esdeath asks, "Only the Prime Minister, Budo, Dorothea, and the Emperor knows about it?"

"I can copy any **weapon** that I can see, granted- highly technical ones are extremely hard for me to grasp, but I at least understand the workings of this monstrosity."

"We have it on file that your teigu is fire-based, so how is it related to copying weapons of all things?" she asks incredulously. I look at her. Normally, I'll just say it, but Esdeath is most likely going to be executed the moment that the Revolutionary Army takes the Capital, regardless of how much I believe otherwise.

"Can we have a pardon and just leave to go somewhere after this?" I ask, teasing Night Raid's leader with the question of my magecraft.

"...Fine. As long as you don't interfere with our operations after the revolution." she begrudgingly replies, much to the shock of her group.

"But Boss!" the armored teen said, "Didn't you say that Esdeath is the worst example of humanity."

"Yes. And ironically, I see one of the best examples of humanity with her." Najenda responds, "Which is shocking, but hey, opposites attract."

"Why thank you, Najenda. " Esdeath responds.

"So what is it?" Najenda asks as she leans toward me, looking me squarely in the eye. "Magic?"

"Close enough," I respond sheepishly, much to the stunned expression of the group.

"What," Leone says with a confused expression.

"Yes," Illya says with a sigh. "Silly onii-chan, did you forget that we can't tell non-magi about magecraft."

"I mean.." I look at her, "They do own what amounts to Mystic Codes."

"What are Mystic Codes?" Leone asks with a hint of confusion,

"Illya," I sighed, "Can you take care of this? I have to help-what the!" I see the armored teen and Susanoo already race towards the hulking giant.

"You scum! How dare you damage this country's only defense!?" Came the roaring reply from the giant. "You assassins come to my castle and kill my people for your misguided attempts at helping people?"

"You… helping people?" the armored teen roars out, "You just nuked your people."

"All I saw was traitors to the throne. As people, they should die for the service of the throne." the child emperor calmly says. Something in that reminds me of Saber's own conviction, just-you know-in the complete opposite. Saber had always believed in representing the people, being the…._perfect_ king.

"That's just wrong." I scoff, I can't believe that any emperor is this naive. Maybe Saber is coloring my view on kingship, but he is truly incompetent. "A king shouldn't just oppress his people because they are in his way. You're supposed to be their role model, their protector. And I don't see you protecting people with a walking explosion."

He chooses to ignore me. Instead, his crown starts to glow red once again. The only thing that can block that is Avalon, but…. Even with this world's lessened resistance against magecraft, it'll do jack with powering the EX-rank Noble Phantasm.

"_My teigu_." I inwardly pray, "_If you can listen to whatever, just listen to this, I need more power to save these people. Just for once, I can deal with the robot, but I need to protect the people_."

I got no response from my teigu, but power starts to flood in, as my hands start to glow with fire. Thank you. Using Structural Analysis on myself, I bring out **Avalon**. The scabbard of the Once and Future King of Briton. Channeling whatever power is powering the Teigu, I inwardly hope that the scabbard accepts it.

"**The Everdistant Utopia: Avalon**!" I shout as I force the scabbard's heavenly defenses to completely cover the diameter of the beam. My magic circuits are screaming. My flames are sputtering. But I have to not let the beam strike again. "Susanoo, strike it in the center with the hardest thing you got!"

The beam finally whines as it fires. The bloody red beam carving a path through the air before it is stopped by a golden barrier. All I can see is red as the beam of destruction is nullified by the ultimate defense of the fairies. The beam just disappeared, not even splashed aside, lost in the between of dimensions.

It hurts. Even worse than when I created Nerve Circuits.

"GO!" I pant as Susanoo's Ame no Murakumo appears as the sword is lodged into the chest of the hulking behemoth, but it barely stuck in.

"Rarggh!" the armored teen punches the blade, causing to go in more before he is grabbed by the giant's hand and thrown across the city into a clock tower.

"Shit." I pant as my vision fades, "The titan is going to fire soon…..." I collapse. I can barely see anything, only light hair blue flashing by my vision.

* * *

-0-

* * *

Waking up, I see a fireplace crackling merrily a few feet from me. What happened. I blearily look around to see my head on Esdeath's lap.

"What happened?' I ask with confusion, "Did the Capital survive?"

"For the most part," Esdeath responds, "It's not like I care."

Sigh. She's still on that. Is there any way for me to ever change her mind? No.

"Any casualties."

"Well, yeah." she answers, "2 districts got obliterated. Tatsumi, the armored teen, became a dragon-which cool-but dies to wounds. I just left with you and Illya after that happened. Najenda had kept her side of the deal, which I didn't actually expect. But, I just took you and leave. After all, I doubt that the Revolutionary Army will be happy to see me." She shrugs.

She is correct. But 2 districts? I'm sure that that 100s of people have perished to that attack, maybe even with the aftermath, as flames will arise from the ruins….. If only I was there, but I doubt that I could've even concentrated after my body forcibly shut me down from pretty much tearing open my Magic Circuits to fuel Avalon, something that I shouldn't even be close to power. In fact… my Magic Circuits feel half-broken or something like that right now.

"Stupid onii-chan!" Illya pouts as she pounds at my chest. "You almost died. Did you realize that you obliterated 13 of your circuits?"

Wait, thirteen? That's half of my already pitiful reserves. But that means that.

"Yeah, you probably can't trace any noble phantasms at this point." Illya responds, "I'm not good enough of a Spiritual Surgeon to splice some of my own, so there is no way for you to recuperate that ability."

"But my teigu." I ask, "That should be fine, right?"

"Well, yes." Esdeath responds, "It's internalized, I doubt that your Fire teigu will just vanish."

I summon a fireball in my hands. I guess that it still works just fine.

"So Shirou, can you stop the Alteration for yourself?" Illya asks, "I was easily able to overpower myself, but for some reason, it still hasn't changed for you."

"y Done." I say as I remove whatever mana is covering my body. The reinforcement is also gone, so I can feel even more aches, remnants of the pains that Avalon is slowly repairing.

"Onii-chan." Illya says, "Your hair still has some white hairs. In fact, it is at the half point between Archer's and yours."

"What?" I ask as I grab my hair. I get up from Esdeath's lap and wildly look around the cabin. "Is there a mirror?" My body shouldn't be already being altered from Tracing, especially since I only activated…. Avalon. Right, intense usage of the Magic Circuits which are Swords, through and through.

I sheepishly smile, "It doesn't look bad, right?"

"Nope." Both replies as I finally go look outside the window. It was snowing.

"So, do you want to go hunting?" Esdeath asks as she goes to walk out.

"I'll go with you," I say as I brush off my clothes. I might as well check if I can really not trace Noble Phantasms. It'll be much better than laying here like broken equipment, thrown aside for cracking in half.

After all, reforging a weapon is long process. There is a chance to repair a cracked weapon, it just takes fire. A lot of which I have.

* * *

-0-

* * *

**Ok there. Done. Open-ended conclusion. I'm never touching this again. So if someone wants to rewrite this, go at it and inform me. This was a show and a half that I forced myself to conclude and nopity nope nope and I am never rebooting it myself. **

**But, this has been a fun ride, so I hope that you did enjoy the fic. **

**Tata!**


End file.
